


Seeking

by Satashi



Category: Mage & Demon Queen (Webcomic)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:07:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 68,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25435105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Satashi/pseuds/Satashi
Summary: Malori starts a new journey and must learn what it means to walk a thin line between humanity and demonic influences. Will she seek the aid of her love Velverosa or the comfort of the life and friends that she knows? A tale of discovery and self-searching laced with comedy and just a sprinkle (heavy handed without a lid on) of smut.
Relationships: Malori Crowett/Velverosa
Comments: 271
Kudos: 504





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! Trying my hand at a new series; a webcomic I've fallen in love with a few times over! I'd like to take a moment and thank the wonderful creators and hard-working people who have brought us this lovely comic, the amazing characters, and beautiful world. This is non-canon, of course, so just assume this is an A/U from around [S2] Episode 36.

Being pushed back onto my bed felt shockingly good, despite the force behind it. Queen Velverosa fell over me, bracing herself on either with her arms. Her voice was hard to understand, but I could tell by the side to side snapping of her tail that she was being snarky with me. Her weight shifted, a knee slid between my legs, and I let out a loud groan of pleasure from it. My wrists were pinned, her weight pushing on me to keep my body still as she made it clear that I wasn’t to move. Then, leaning down, she shifted her weight and rolled so I was flung off the bed and roughly onto the floor in a mess of sheets and pillows.

**Seeking**

**By:**

**Satashi**

Cerik sighed to himself as he looked down at the mess before him, one side of the sheets on his hands. “I said wake up already.”

Malori struggled to free herself from the cotton prison so she could grab a pillow and sling it at her best friend. “Why did you wake me? It was just getting good!” A pout came over her face when he caught the projectile and lightly tossed it back onto the mattress.

“I don’t want to know.” The male walked through the small apartment so he could start looking through his friend’s pantry. “Meeting with the king, remember? They told us last night before we left.” Finding a few loaves of bread, he picked up a larger one and tore it in half so he could start eating one side of it. Making his way back, he ignored Malori struggling to get dressed in favor of sitting on the bed, not even bothering to help fix the mess that he made. “Wonder what they want with us _this_ time.”

Malori answered while mostly trying to comb her hair. “Probably more to do with the war and everything.” Once done with her task she turned and caught half the loaf thrown at her at the same time, taking a bite while going for her boots. “Fine with me, we normally have the rest of the day off from school, so I’ll head to the tower.” As Cerik’s face lit up, she couldn’t help but grin at her friend. “Yes, you’re invited too.”

It only took the two friends half an hour to finish up and make it to the teleportation portal close to the middle of town. Malori touched it and focused her mana, soon forming an image of the capital city in Folstina. “Ready?” She asked casually over her shoulder.

“As I’ll ever be to talk to a king.” Cerik put his hand on Malori’s shoulder so they could pass through at the same time, appearing in a special location reserved for those invited to be guests of royalty. “Much better than walking.”

“Lazy ass,” Malori accused him playfully.

“Says the girl who can freaking _teleport,_ ” Cerik grumbled back. “I bet you don’t even walk up the tower anymore, do you?” Instead of answering, Malori instead quickly darted behind a corner. “Mal?” The panicked look he was getting made him turn back to see princess Leora running up to him. “Princess!?” He quickly bowed to her.

“Cerik!” She looked up at him excitedly. “I’m so glad to see you!”

“M-me!?” A hand went to scratch the back of his head bashfully. “I mean, I suppose I have been the rising star lately at the academy-”

“Malori is always with you! Where is she?” Leora tried to look behind him, even getting on her tiptoes to look over his shoulders.

Cerik’s eyes looked to the side, where Malori was sweating. One finger was to her lips while her other hand was waving it off in an _oh god please no_ fashion. Cerik nodded, holding up a thumbs up and winking at her. Just as his best friend sighed in relief, he spoke. “Oh, Mal? She’s right there.” He pointed at her.

“Cerik you backstabbing—Oh hi there Princess Leora.” Malori bowed quickly, voice getting more and more nervous as she was glomped onto. “Uhm… My lady, you don’t want to be seen holding the arm of a commoner like me.” No matter how much she tried to pull away, she couldn’t get free from the double-armed death grip on her.

“No, it’s perfectly fine to hold the arm of my future bride!” Leora declared with a smile. “Besides, we need to get used to being together!” Pulling Malori along, she guided her along towards the ceremony hallway. Cerik followed, a pleased grin on his face when his friend stuck out her tongue when Leora wasn’t looking.

The grand throne room was already occupied by the remaining three members of the top five students. To one side stood four elite looking adventurers, which Malori remembered seeing in the academy before. “Former graduates?” Cerik asked softly so only his friend and Leora could hear him. “Top of the grades too, I’ve made weapons for them…”

Malori felt her arm being squeezed before Leora ran ahead to stand with the other four. Her clean golden hair and white flowing robes seemed very unbefitting next to the leather and steel of those next to her. “Cerik, I don’t like this,” the words were heard, but couldn’t be replied to before they stood with their classmates.

King Albert stood once they were all in line, taking a few steps forward without delay. “Welcome.” The word was spoken solidly and the five instantly took to a respectful stance.

“My King,” Cerik bowed his head, putting up his best appearance.

“My Liege,” Galena put a fist to her chest to show her respect to him.

“My King,” Laila mimicked her cousin’s actions

“My Sire,” Alto smiled and bowed his head loyally.

“Your Highness.” Malori smiled at him brightly.

Albert looked at them all proudly. “I’ve heard many great things about your training lately. More than I could have hoped for, to be honest. Already your skills and levels have improved since we last met and I am honored to announce that the next phase in our plan has arrived sooner than I had even hoped.”

The small group looked at each other nervously. Cerik met Malori’s eyes and the girl shrugged helplessly.

“Our plans all revolve around you five and what you can handle… For now, I want to see what you can all do individually. That is where today’s test comes in. I am sending you all out on your first mission for your country. You are to invade the Demon Tower one at a time, paired only with one of my chosen to observe you. Use whatever means you find necessary to proceed as far as you can. Once you can go no farther, the next party will go in after you.”

Malori raised her hand and was nodded at. “Your Highness, we have all been in the tower several times already, I’m sure we could give you any information…?”

“You will be observed and your skills analyzed,” Albert replied, voice a little firmer. “We have arranged the best partner for each of you. Now… Malori Crowett.”

“Sir!” Stepping forward, she swallowed thickly.

“Against… My better judgment as a father… I am appointing you someone worthy of watching your every move… Princess Leora.”

Leora stepped forward, a huge smile on her face. “Right here, Father!”

Malori felt herself going pale. ‘ _Queen Vel is going to scold me._ ’

Albert looked back at them as Leora stood by Malori and took her arm. “You two are going first. Be off, I expect you to be at the Demon Tower within the hour. I look forward to seeing how you reach the top floor all by yourself, Malori Crowett.”

“Let’s go!” Leora began to pull Malori away, who was desperately looking at Cerik for help. The male could only stand in shock before his name was called as well and he had to step forward to receive his own orders.

Malori stumbled to regain her footing so she could once again walk on her own. Leora was snuggling up on her arm, a huge smile on her face. ‘ _No…’_ She thought gloomily. ‘ _Queen Vel is going to murder me._ ’

~**~

“So, Malori,” Leora put her hands behind her back casually while they walked through the forest area before the tower. “How did you get to be so strong?”

Malori chuckled to herself. “I’d rather not go into it.”

“So, it’s true?” Stopping, the blonde girl leaned forward with a smile. “That you blew up a demon numerous times while you were little?”

Malori also stopped after a few paces, turning around to look at her. “How did you know that?”

“Daddy forced me to read a report on you after I begged him to let me be your partner.”

“...Forced you?”

Leora took a few steps to close the distance between them. “Hearing about my future bride from their own lips is way more satisfying, don’t you think?” A hand was brought up to Malori’s cheek, body leaning closer with eyes fluttering closed. “I think we’ll have plenty of alone time today for it…”

“Consent!” The redhead tried to backpedal away from her but only managed to stumble and fall into some bushes. Leora was tugged along with her, landing on top with a cute, playful squeak. The two rolled a bit before Malori finally managed to pin her assailant down. “Sssh!” Holding a finger to Leora’s lips, she stayed nervously still.

The princess waited, holding her breath while enjoying the feel of the finger against her lips. A few moments of nothing passed, but Malori sank down a little more while keeping her finger onto her friend’s mouth. “I hear footsteps,” she whispered as softly as she could. “A lot of them.”

Leora closed her eyes and made herself focus. Malori’s warm body on top of her, the soft skin pressing onto her, and the sweet scent of pastries lingering in her nose. ‘ _No!_ ’ she scolded herself. ‘ _Focus on the sounds!_ ’ The quiet of nature came to her then, laced with the small tweets of birds, scampering of small animals... and the marching of a group of soldiers. “Malori...”

“Just stay quiet...” The branches were gently shifted, the pair waiting until they could see a small band of demons. “It's a rebel group,” the words were barely whispered. “They must be going to attack the tower.”

Leora shifted her head back so she could try and see, her vision upside down. “Good timing... If we wait and let them attack first, you can follow them and get an easy pass to the queen.”

Although her past self would have taken that chance, the mage could only feel a little bit of anger rising inside of her at the current situation. “No; we can’t let them pass. I’ll have to attack. Leora, you stay in the bushes... I’ll tail them for a bit so you’ll be at a safe distance. If anything happens to me, just run back to the portal.”

Leora pulled the girl back down against her body when she tried to move. “Malori!” The harsh whisper went directly into the top’s ear. “This isn’t part of the order! Daddy told you to go to the tower, that was a direct command from the _king_.”

A moment of hesitation went through her mind as she played the consequences out in her head. “Yeah, but... They are going into the tower as well... If we leave them unchecked, then...”

“Malori!”

One of the demons stopped his march, looking over at where the bushes were rustling. “Someone there!?”

Malori’s eyes lit up. “You got us caught, Leora, I have to protect you now!”

“B-but they don’t know if we’re here for sure-” Malori stood up on top of her to reveal their location. “Oh, for the love... of...” From her new vantage point, she could clearly see right up Malori’s dress. “White cotton... Malori, you’re so pure!”

Shoving her hands between her legs, Malori forced herself not to punt the girl into the lizard looking demon that spotted them. “Uhm, hello kind sir, I can’t help but notice you’re on your way to attack the demon tower.”

The lizard-man seemed all too ready to go to war, gripping his spear steady. “Hell yeah we are! We’re going to throw that passive, soft, disgrace of a demon queen right out!” With the fire refueled in his heart, he waved the girl off. “You run along; we don’t have time to deal with you.”

Malori felt her eyebrow twitch. As soon as the lizard turned around, a fireball formed in her palm. “Explosion!” The following eruption of fire, dirt, uprooted shrubbery, and flying bodies of demons flooded the area, leading into screams and commands for battle. “Oops,” she stuck her tongue out at Leora playfully. “That just kind of slipped, silly me!” The bushes were leapt from as a trail of magical buffs began to follow in her wake. ‘ _I’m still a demon general,_ ’ her mind raced. ‘ _If the tower is assaulted back to back by raids and the top students, then the whole tower will be in trouble.’_

“There she is!” A gravelly voice called out. “It’s an adventurer!”

“Hiya!” Malori sang to them sweetly. A barrier went up around herself to stop a slew of projectiles aimed at her small body. When the small window of reloading came, she moved her hands and made fire shoot up in pillars all around them. 

Leora watched in awe, her blue eyes sparkling at the display of her self-proclaimed future bride. It took everything she had to pull herself from the love induce trance so she could focus on her task. Mental notes were stored, her eyes taking in everything her crush did. ‘ _Buffs, fire-based magic, all things that are on her school report spell list..._ ’

Malori fell to her knees as the last demon was sent flying into the distance. “I burned through too much mana...” Violet eyes looked over at Leora running to her. “See? Totally fine. One small group is nothing for me!” Despite this, she still found her friend offering a mana potion to her. “Ah... thank you, I’m quite thirsty.” The blue liquid was drunk heavily in one long chug.

A rough voice came from the side. “Over here! The scouting party was attacked!”

“Scouting...” Malori choked on the remainder of her drink.

“Oh no...” Leora slowly turned, seeing a small horde of demons. “Malori... we should run.”

“Yeah... Go.” Standing, the girl stretched out before walking forward slowly. ‘ _Once Leora is safely away I can put on my mask and face them as demon general M and let queen Vel’s reaction to a coup be known._ ’

“I’m not letting you fight on your own.” Leora stood her ground next to the girl. A large tome was held out in her hand, a frown on her face. “If I can’t stand next to you, how can I ever hope to marry you?”

“You idiot!” Malori grabbed the girl’s dress, pulling her close. “You’re not an adventurer, you won’t revive if you get killed; I will!”

“M-Malori!” The princess’s cheeks colored darkly. “This is the first time someone has treated me so roughly... it's kind of hot.”

‘ _Oh god, is that what I sound like!?_ ’ Sudden realization went through her heart. Before anymore words could be said, the group was upon them. “What can you do?”

“I have a high mana efficiency for summoning!” Leora held her hand above her tome and the pages rapidly turned until it reached a seal that matched what she wanted to pull. “Forest guardian, come to our aid!” A blinding light of green and orange filled the area for a moment, slowly fading to reveal a foot-tall wooden creature. It was mostly humanoid with bark and leaves making up most of its body.

“I... am... Root!”

Malori waved her hand. “No, no, I don’t think we have the budget for this kind of copyright infringement.”

“Kill them!” A demon with large horns and red skin screamed out his war cry, only to have an explosion blow up in his face. 

Pulling her hands back, Malori gathered her mana to start boosting their stats once more. “Can you summon anything better? Like something that can stop a horde of angry demons!?” With those words, she stood in front of the princess and formed two swords made of lightning to block a single attack from an ogre two times her size. 

Blue eyes scanned the book before them. “I... I...” Glancing back up, she saw Malori bind three demons together and then fling a flaming scimitar at one more. Despite this, the group of troops before them were steadily pushing forward, about to overtake them.

“Leora!”

“I can summon a greater demon!” The pages flipped to a crest that took up two pages. “But... But it won’t listen to me, my power isn’t-”

“Just do it!” Malori’s form flickered out from sight in a haze of purple mist, reforming next to the princess and putting up a pink barrier. “It’ll listen!”

The crest vanished from the pages and appeared in the air. “I summon thee!” The symbols and runes stretched and distorted, curling around and intertwining together to form a large circular gate where a golem made of crying obsidian crawled out with ear-splitting grinding of stone and shrapnel. “Attack!”

The golem roared furiously, turning on the spot and slamming a huge fist onto the barrier. Chips and pieces instantly began to shatter before being knitted back together from Malori’s mana. “You heard her!” She called up to it, eyes glowing faintly. “Attack them!” Silence came over the field for a scant few seconds as a powerful, invisible, wave seemed to pulse through it. Slowly the golem stood at its full height and gave an earth-shaking roar at the small army before stomping towards it. “See?” Malori panted, dropping her barrier. “I knew you could do it.”

Leora felt the air catch in her throat. The side of Malori’s neck was faintly glowing under her choker, the feel on mana consumption clear on her. ‘ _I’m not controlling it..._ ’ The blonde looked to the side where the battle was taking place. ‘ _I don’t have a pact with that golem… It’s not listening to me… It's listening to Malori.’_

A blast of lightning made the two girls fly apart. The mage landed with a hard grunt, shaking her head to try and clear the ringing from it. ‘ _Too much...._ ’ Her hand reached forward, struggling to form a blade of earth. As she did, she felt blood trickle from her nose and another mana potion was drank. A speed boost, light flight magic, strength up, and a swing of a two-handed claymore made of stone. Another rebel fell, two more took its place.

The roaring began to fade, rock slowly starting to look back towards the humans. “No, you...” Malori tried to point, her vision starting to get weak as more mana that she didn’t have was being drained from her. “Keep... keep attacking!” Another roar, another attack, another mana potion.

“Malori!” Leora ran to her. “Stop! Let me dispel it!”

“I have to... protect...” Violet eyes started to close, a pink barrier forming around them before her body went limp.

“Malori!” The scream made the battlefield look at her again. The crying of rock on rock shrieked into her ears as her summon turned on her once again. “No... no... Please...” Cradling Malori in her arms, she looked up in fear. “I can... I can do this... I can...” Swallowing down, her book was lifted again. “You... _will_... listen to me!”

But the golem fell. A spear of dark energy shattered, sending shrapnel of hardened clay and magma in all directions. A lone figure gracefully landed before the barrier, holding her hand up as more weaponry started to form all around her. “Flee.” The word was simple but powerful enough to scatter the remaining troops.

“Q... Queen Velverosa.” Leora’s voice broke. The demon queen turned to face her and began taking powerful strides over to them, stopping only to shatter Malori’s shield with two strikes. “Stay back! I am Princess Leora of the Folstina kingdom! If you attack me, it will be seen as a declaration of war!”

“Idiot.” Velverosa knelt down and took Malori’s pulse, her tail dancing sharply behind her and occasionally making grooves in the dirt from angered strikes. “A mercenary group of rebel demons roam the wayside and cause all kinds of trouble, then they stumble upon the princess and kill her. It is a sad story and would reflect poorly on demons, but a war it will not be. Give me the girl.”

“I will not.” Leora held Malori closer.

“I could still kill you and let them take all the credit.” Velverosa narrowed her eyes.

“I won’t give her to you.” Leora was already visibly shaking, but the hug on the one in her arms remained strong.

“...I respect that fire in you.” Vel instead took on a more political tone. “In exchange for the bravery not seen very often in your kind, and the fact that you fought a group of rebels coming to invade my tower, I hereby offer amnesty to you in my home as guests of honor.”

“You’re... not going to kill us?”

“Listen you little twerp, I just invited you in, are you going to keep talking or accept!?”

“I-I accept!” Leora weakly reached to accept the hand that she thought would be a shake but instead found herself hoisted to her feet. Both herself and Malori were only being supported by the queen, her legs shaking and weak. “I... I can’t walk.”

“For the love of....” After a sharp whistle, Fenn appeared as if she had leaped from a tree overhead. “Fenn... I need you to...” Her face was visibly pained. “Take the human girl to the castle as a guest. I will be escorting princess Leora personally.”

Fenn instantly accepted Malori and held her close. “Right away, my Queen.” Her words held the tone that she knew what was going on. Vel was shoving down her own emotions to keep the demon queen title respectable.

“And for you, Princess.” Scooping up Leora, Vel threw the girl on top her shoulder like a sack of wheat to carry back unceremoniously. “I’ll carry you.”

Leora looked down in fear, watching the devilishly angry tail slashing out in annoyance. “Th... Thank you...”

“Why were you in my kingdom, Princess? You know this is the worst place for you to be. You can die here.”

“... I... uhm...”

Snarling, Vel almost threw the human through the nearest tree. “No doubt to attack. That’s all you people do anyway. Talk about declarations of war.”

“I wasn’t to be the one to attack,” the voice countered at once. “I was just going to watch Malori!”

Vel’s grip got more firm, tail actually cutting down a thin tree as she walked by. “No more talking. I’ll take you to a room in my tower, make sure you’re healed, feed you, and let you rest. After that can come diplomacy.”

“... Thank you, Queen Velverosa.” Leora gave up arguing in favor of doing something she was quite fond of: not being dead.

~**~

Malori’s eyes slowly opened, the room coming into focus a lot slower than usual. “Ugh…” The groan seemed to cause the bed to shift next to her and suddenly a hand was on her cheek. “Wha…?”

“Malori?” The normally stoic and hard tone of Velverosa was soft and concerned. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

“My Queen?” The blurred vision started to come into focus. Vel’s private chambers, a sight that she hadn’t seen as much as she would have liked. “Am I… in your bed?”

“Does your head hurt?” Vel touched Malori’s hair gently. “Right here? Does this spot hurt?”

“N-no my queen, it doesn’t hurt at all.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Vel drew back her fist and punched the girl across the skull, making sure that the spot was thoroughly hurting now. “What were you thinking!?”

A soft whine came as Malori gently held her head, already feeling a knot forming there. “Owie!” Sniffing, she looked at the face of a pissed off demon queen. “But… but they were coming to attack the tower! It’s my job as a demon general to protect you!”

“Your _job_ is to stay by my side!” Vel sat back down heavily on the bed while Malori cast a small heal spell on her injury. “You’re not a general to fight, you’re a general to advise.”

“I can handle my own in a fight, you know that.”

Vel glared. “What are you implying?”

“I mean…” pressing her two index fingers together, she smiled nervously. “I did manage to learn a few more of your spells.”

“Copies of my spells,” Vel reminded her sternly. “Humans can’t cast demonic magic.”

“…Yeah.”

Groaning, the queen opened up her arms. “Hug.”

“Hug?”

“I’m stressed. It is part of your job to aid your queen!” With a small grunt, she fell back onto the mattress when Malori all but tackled her in a close hug. “…Really, Malori… Don’t make me worry so much. Why couldn’t you just tell me what was going on?”

The smaller girl sighed softly. “Before I say anything, is Leora okay?”

“She is in a private room recovering from her fight. I have maids attending to her needs.” Claws began to finger comb through strands of reddish-brown hair absentmindedly, not realizing the effect it was having on the girl in her arms. Once she was able to, Malori retold the story from waking up that morning. The king’s orders, the missions, running into the group of rebels, and being saved at the end. “I see…”

“Vel? Do you think they’ll send more to the tower today? Should we prepare?”

“The king won’t do anything until his daughter comes back so we have time to plan. Right now, I just need you to do your job and help relieve the stress you caused me.”

‘ _Is she saying she wants to cuddle more?_ ’ Malori swallowed, deciding to press her luck. “Uhm, my queen, they say that squeezing something soft in your hands helps aid in stress relief.”

“Is that so?” Vel ran a hand down Malori’s arm. ‘ _She is quite soft… and it does help relieve my stress, even if she is the idiot who caused it._ ’ Her fingertips slipped from the girl’s wrist to her side so she could trace back up along her hip. ‘ _It is actually a rather pleasant feeling._ ’

Closing her eyes, Malori tried her best not to make a sound. The hand smoothly ran along her back and for the first time, she realized that she had been changed into one of her more casual clothes to wear around the tower. Much like her normal dress, it was light and airy, though tinted with purple and streaks of red with gold highlights. A more demon themed look to fit her title there.

At the moment, however, she was feeling more putty than demonic. Velverosa’s hands were both working her now. Sliding along her back, along her rear, reaching to her thighs, and moving back up. Although she tried to hold it in, eventually it became too much for her and a small muffled moan escaped. “Mmn… ahhn…”

Vel pulled back slightly, looking down in shock. Although normally Malori would press the moment, try and go for some smooth pick up line, she was instead now looking away with tinted cheeks. “Looks like my stress relief is getting a little invested into her job.”

“I… just want to make sure I do it well…” Their bodies shifted, Vel moving to crouch above her on all fours, tail waving back and forth predatory. “…Vel?”

“You will address me as your queen,” Vel answered instead, eyes taking in the sight before her hungrily.

“Yes, my queen.” The words were starting to become harder to say, Violet eyes darting back and forth between the view she had and the golden eyes of the one above her.

Pride suddenly started to swell up in Vel’s chest. Malori was always so assertive, forceful even. Having her become meek like this was ticking all the right boxes for her to say the least. “Look at you,” she cooed out smugly. “The human girl who walked her way right up to my lair to defeat me only a few months ago… silent on my bed, under me, where she belongs.”

“I… I belong under you on your bed?” Malori held one hand to her chest while shyly looking away.

Velverosa’s tail began to wag behind her furiously, her cheeks growing more and more red by the moment. “Don’t try to play this off.” One hand pinned both of Malori’s wrist above her head in a swift movement. “All that talk, and you’re still a submissive little bunny under my claws.” Although trying to give off the impression of being in control, in the back of her mind she was recalling the chapter in her book for information on human intercourse.

“Qu…een Vel…” A clawed hand was moving up along her stomach, making its way ever so higher along her body. Her breathing was starting to get difficult and she could feel herself beginning to warm up. “Please… Let me relieve your stress…”

“That’s not what you want.” Vel lifted her hand just before touching the right spots. “Tell me what you desire.” A fingertip lightly touched the small tenting of the cotton dress where the girl’s nipple had stiffened from both the words and contact.

“I… I want…” Malori was fumbling with her words. Her mind was screaming, countless one-liners going through her head, but when she saw that sultry gaze and that voice that was getting even more erotically husky, all sounds were dying on her lips.

“If you beg… I might indulge you.” Vel leaned down, running the tip of her nose along Malori’s shoulder up to her ear while inhaling her scent. Lips brushing the skin, Vel groaned out to her. “Now… Be a good girl and tell me… who’s in control here.”

“Y…” Malori felt teeth along her earlobe. The hand that wasn’t pinning down her wrists was on her thigh, slowly moving up her dress.

“Say it,” Vel commanded in a pleased groan. “And I’ll be sure to give my prey what she desires most.” Her tongue slowly ran up the rim of Malori’s ear, getting the girl to kick out one of her legs and tilt her head to allow more room for her. “Who do you belong to!?” The question was still whispered, but more forceful now.

Malori gasped, allowing her leg to be pushed over. “I… I belong to-”

“Queen Velverosa!” Fhaust burst into the room in a panic, only to barely dodge an arcane spear that nearly claimed his head. “My Queen!?”

Vel already had the sheets gripped in her hands, pulled up and twisted around Malori to hide all of her body from view except for her head. “You have ten seconds to explain yourself!”

“S-sorry, Queen Velverosa, but our guest, Princess Leora, is causing trouble and is demanding to see Malori! It is getting to the point where we might hurt her to restrain her and your commands…”

“Ugh… Fine! Leave, I’ll be there shortly! Tell the brat Malori is on her way!” She watched Fhaust try to close the door behind himself, but due to the explosion, it instead just fell to the floor. “I’m surrounded by idiots…” Golden eyes looked down, getting a view of a blushing Malori shyly looking up at her with one hand over her mouth. “You, little girl, don’t forget what you were saying.” With that, she stood up and began to walk out of the room. “Well, come on then! She’s _your_ friend!”

“Y-yes, My queen!”

~**~

Melathia put her hand onto Fhaust’s shoulder. “Fhaust, dear, did you know that you interrupted the queen and Malori in a very important moment?”

“Yes, it was awkward but I’m sure very nice data can be-” His words cut off when she moved over him menacingly. “Uhm… Miss Melathia?”

“Do you know how long I have been waiting to write this moment?”

“Uhm…” Sinking back, he began to look for an escape.

“And now, you are going to make my readers wait for another chapter for the smut they were promised!”

“I… I’m sorry!?”

“Not as sorry as you will be once I get my hands on you!”


	2. Loyalty

I didn’t really know what to do about my current situation. Sitting next to Leora and across a table from ~~my future bride~~ the demon queen was awkward to say the least. Vel was looking irritated at the way Leora was sitting directly up next to me but was managing to keep her cool for the time being. I kind of felt like a little rabbit being stared at between a large dragon and a raging summoner both prepared to grab me at a moment’s notice.

**Seeking II**

**By: Satashi**

“Thank you for the audience,” Leora finally broke the silence. “I don’t know the last time the demon kingdom and the human kingdom sat down together.”

Vel’s finger was tapping on her arm in annoyance. “I’m sure we all know why that is.”

Sinking back, the princess looked down. “...Well, demons aren’t exactly known for being kind to us. They’ve always been hostile-”

“Hostile!?” Vel rose her voice and her tail flicked next to her. “Your kind has discriminated against us since we first came across each other. That’s all you humans do, hate each other.”

“Demons attacked and repressed us!”

“After we were attacked because we were stronger! We fought back and overpowered your war hungry race until you discovered mana and summoning rituals. Now you hunt us and eat our lesser kind.”

“That’s not how it is!”

“Read a history book that goes back more than a few hundred years!” Velverosa stood up, visibly restraining herself from killing the princess before her. “Ugh, this is why I don’t even bother.”

“But what about the village that you took recently?” Leora stood as well. “You raided it as peacefully as you could and offered them food and protection. They _denied_ aid from my father!”

“My newest advisor is dabbling in peaceful negotiations.” Vel glared at her. “We’re not invading and conquering, we’re saving the lives that _your_ kind threw away!” Standing to her full height, she glared down at the girl before her. “We don't even let lesser demons go without. You could learn a thing or two from us.” Having had enough, she turned to walk from the room. “I need to prepare for the rest of your bothersome attacks. Both of you get ready to leave, I will escort you back home personally.”

“Personally!?” Malori jumped from the couch in shock.

Vel looked over her shoulder. “Princess Leora is in my care. I will not let any harm befall her before she is delivered back to her family.” With that the door closed behind the queen. Silence came after, soon followed by an infuriating yell and a loud explosion. As the floor under them shook, Malori scratched her cheek lightly.

“So... I guess we’re going back.”

Leora licked her lips. “I was always told that demons never did anything but fight and destroy... Even the demon queen was supposed to be a monster who had nothing but rage in her heart...”

“Nah,” Malori waved it off. “They’re just like us really. A bit rough around the edges, but nothing bad.”

Turning, the blonde took a step forward. “You seem to know a lot about them.”

“I... I mean... I’ve been here over a dozen times.” Malori tried to find a solution to the situation she had just put herself in. “So, you see, I’ve noticed the things that go on and...” When Leora just stared at her, she instead looked away. “We should get ready.”

“Malori.” The redhead glanced over her shoulder. “Where did you get those clothes?”

“... Mine were damaged, they were given to me.”

“...Are you lying to me?” Leora narrowed her eyes just a little. Her own clothes were dirty and torn, in much worse shape than what her friend’s had been in. “They look like they were made specifically for you.”

The mage instead started walking to the door. “Let’s go.” As soon as she stepped through the frame her footing was lost and she tumbled down, falling through a hole in the floor and to a story below where a bunch of Pooka were running around. “Owwwwwwwww!” Her eyes opened up, looking through the pain to see a large chunk of stone that was blown out from the tower. “Vel, _really_?”

“Malori! are you okay!?” One of the smaller demons hugged her side.

“We’re sorry, we’re fixing the damage as fast as we can!” Another tried to help her up.

“It’s fine, I should be used to this by... crap.” Looking up, she saw Leora staring down at her from the floor above. “Uhm... I’m good! Just jump down and I’ll catch you!” To her relief, her friend slowly knelt down to do just that. The cute little demons around her scattered around at the idea of a new arrival and Malori felt a little bad for scaring them like that after they helped her. A few seconds later and they both collapsed on the floor, Malori struggling to take in air. 

“I’m not that heavy!” Leora growled out at her.

“Can’t... breathe.” 

The two eventually made it to the bottom floor and were greeted by a few maids holding cloaks for them. Once their bodies were covered, they were shown outside where Velverosa was already sitting on a horse. Her usual clothing was changed for her dancer attire, body shielded by an almost see-through hooded cloak as well. The horns, claws, and tail were gone due to a transformation spell but even so, she held the air of royalty about her. “...What are you two looking at?”

“Nothing.” Malori grabbed her nose, already feeling it starting to bleed. ‘ _Oh god, how is she this hot!?_ ’ 

Vel guided her steed over to them. “Princess, you can ride the horse next to me. If anything happens along the way, I want you to get out of harm’s way while I deal with it.”

Leora nodded. “Mal, you can ride with me then.”

Reaching over, Velverosa picked up Malori by the back of her clothing and instead set the girl in front of herself. “She will ride with me. I’ve battled this mage enough to not trust her if she isn’t in my sight.”

The feeling of suddenly being halfway embraced made the redhead grow warm. Her back was pressed against Vel’s front, the large breast pressing against her softly. All at once she was very aware of the scent of her queen and how their size difference made her feel so small next to her. “I’m... okay with this.”

“Malori and I are going to be married soon, so I think it is safe for me to watch her.” Leora saddled her horse and rode over to the other two.

“Married!?” Velverosa looked down at the one before her.

“No one said we’re getting married!” Malori protested at the same time. “Let’s go!” With a strike of the reins, she made the horse start to gallop away, leading them into the woods. “Ignore her, my queen...”

Vel instinctively wanted to wrap her tail around Malori’s waist to keep her in place but had to settle with an arm instead. “I demand an explanation.” The words weren’t so much as commanding as they were firm. “Why does that insolent little thumb sucker think she will wed my advisor?”

“...I asked for the throne if I could end the war.” Looking ahead, Malori tried to keep her mind focused. “At the time, I was thinking I could work for peace between our kingdoms that way... Start from your side and slowly spread the intermingling of demon and human, then make a peace treaty that would allow me the throne so we could finalize it... I didn’t know I would have to marry Leora to finalize it. Now she thinks we’re going to be wed, even though I gave up on that idea.”

“...For being so diligent, you sure are stupid.” Vel took the reins from Malori so she could hold them while embracing the mage at the same time. “You’re not allowed to marry anyone, that’s a direct order.”

“...Yes, my queen.” Malori looked down shyly. Even though technically not under her rule, it felt like Vel had more control over her life than she even realized. “Mnng…” The sound escaped against her will and a small blush went over her cheeks. ‘ _Don’t think about it… Don’t think about it…_ ’ As the horse jumped a small log and galloped along, Malori couldn’t help but let out a small moan. “Nggghh!”

“...Why are you making such weird sounds?” The voice was demanding and slightly annoyed at the confusingly erotic noises coming from her pet mage.

“B...Because...” Malori whined out, suddenly unable to hold back her deep blush or moans. “The horse is making your hips buck up against me and it feels so goooooood!”

“Can’t you hold a serious conversation for ten seconds!?” The demon was suddenly very aware of how their bodies were moving together.

“I’m sorrrryyyyy!” Malori held her nose to try and stop the bleeding that refused to slow down.

‘ _This girl,_ ’ Vel thought to herself. ‘ _I can’t say the desire isn’t there... I’ve been with several people, all of which I never had to do more than smile at before bedding them... This one however..._ ’ Deciding to be bold, she used her grip to hold Malori in place. The arm around the girl squeezed her close and Vel rolled her hips forward. At once Malori stopped her playful moans and went still, looking back up and over at her. 

“...My queen?”

“Careful what you wish for,” Vel almost growled hungrily down at her. “Or I might just give it.”

Leora rushed her horse to get next to them, glaring over at the two’s close proximity. “Ex _cuse_ me, am I interrupting something!?”

Malori groaned. ‘ _Yeah, the Mature rating of this story..._ ’

“Quiet, brat.” Vel glared. “I was merely complimenting her on the last battle we had. And offering an…invitation should she wish to continue it.” The words were laced with double meaning, which did nothing to settle the panicking thoughts in Malori’s poor little gay head.

Not happy, but satisfied with the answer, Leora kept her eyes on them until she stilled her horse at the portal that would lead them to the capital city of Folstina. “Queen Velverosa, would you care to be a guest at my castle?”

“Hmph. If that idiot father of yours still wants to send more to my tower today, then I need to be back to greet them properly.” Gripping a bunch of clothing, she lifted her passenger off the horse and sat her onto the ground. “Malori, I don’t want anyone hearing that I escorted the princess. You are to tell everyone that we fought and I let you go when you begged for mercy so you could walk back. I’ll allow you to say I didn’t notice Leora.”

“I wouldn’t beg for mercy; couldn’t we have a draw or something?” The mage pouted up at her. 

Velverosa glared. “I’m sorry, did you just _back talk_ me?”

“N-no!” Waving her hands, Malori tried to cover her mistake. “I- I was just saying that it sounds like a perfect story! I’ll let everyone know, my queen!”

“Good. And Leora.” Golden eyes narrowed threateningly down at her. “You are hereby no longer under my care. If I see you again, or if you lay a finger on Malori before our next battle, I won’t hesitate to pierce your heart with my claws.” With a clicking sound, she called the other horse to her side and rode back into the woods, leaving them alone.

“...Let’s go home.” Malori touched the portal to activate it.

“Malori,” Leora spoke up first, putting a hand on her friend’s arm. “Before we go in... Please answer something honestly for me.”

“Yes, Princess?”

“...You’re on my side, aren’t you?”

Malori felt herself freeze up, her heart skipping a beat as fear jolted through her. Just as fast as it came, she let it wash away from her heart. “Come on, Princess, what are you talking about? I’ve fought Queen Velverosa almost two dozen times now, at some point we had to start talking a little before battle. Just because I rode on a horse with her doesn’t mean I’m any less on an adventurer or she’s any less of a demon queen. Come on, your father is waiting.” Those words ended the conversation and the two entered the gate together.

~**~

Malori sighed out when she finally was able to leave the throne room. After being pestered for details, having to explain the situation, and lying about taking Leora home, she was able to make her way through the castle. ‘ _So much for having a day off,_ ’ she thought to herself. ‘ _It is already getting late in the evening…_ ’

“Malori!” The voice came paired with a hug to her back. Leora was clinging to her happily, giggling her words. “Why don’t you stay at the castle tonight? It is dark now and we both had a rough day. You could stay in my room, you know?”

“Princess Leora, I’d really like to be alone for a bit.” The words were soft and calm. Casually turning around in the embrace, the redhead tried her best to offer a smile. “I’m really tired, my mana is almost out, and I don’t think I’ll be able to stay awake much longer.”

“Then, my bed would be great for…” Her words trailed off slowly at the look she was getting. “… Are you going home, then?”

“Yes, your highness.” Malori smiled softly. “Six hours in front of the king was too much for me to handle.” Even with those words, it was clear something else was bothering her now.

“I see…” Before her friend could turn, she reached out once more to stop her. “Malori?” A small breath was taken. “I’m sorry for asking, but… could you address me as your princess? I mean, I shouldn’t play favorites, and I noticed the royal advisors picked up on how casually you were addressing me… I don’t want anyone to think ill of you…”

“…Is there something wrong with your highness?” Tilting her head, Malori laughed lightly. “Come on now, don’t be so formal, Princess. If anything, why not Princess Leora? Or your Majesty? Future Queen Leora? Maybe just Leora?” Trying to turn it into a flirt to pacify her, Malori waved it off. “Night-night, Future Queen, Majestic, Princess, Leora.”

The sounds of Malori’s footsteps got softer and softer as she walked away. The blonde looked down a moment sadly before sighing out. ‘ _Malori… I hope I’m wrong about this… But I don’t like the way your address the demon queen at all…_ ’

Once Malori made it to a private room, she focused her energy. ‘ _I really feel like I need comfort right now._ ’ Violet eyes scanned the area one more time before her lips whispered the key word of the spell she was casting. “Teleport.” The world blurred around her for a scant few seconds before she found herself in a familiar room in the demon tower.

There was a crest engraved on the floor, allowing her access to bring herself right into her room while bypassing all the security the tower possessed. It was a gift from the demon generals given to her the same day Vel had granted her a room of her own. Despite this, the comfort of her own home away from home wasn’t what she was after.

Walking to a dresser, she changed into sleepwear consisting of a silken one-piece dress that went to her knees. It was modest and comfortable, something that Vel didn’t mind her wearing. One thing was for sure, the queen hated others seeing Malori in revealing clothes. Now dressed comfortably, she padded her way into the hallway and down a few doors to the massive double doors that made up Vel’s private chambers. ‘ _The pookas work so fast,_ ’ she observed, everything already looking back to normal as if it hadn’t been blown up earlier.

“Queen Vel?” Malori asked as she walked into the room. Silence answered the girl’s question but she made her way in anyway. ‘ _I wonder if she will be mad if I make myself at home?_ ’ Weighing the risk verses rewards was easy enough and soon she found herself laying on Vel’s bed. ‘ _What a day._ ’ Her eyes closed gently, comfort washing over her with the scent of her queen lingering around her. It felt like just a few moments before her fatigue from the day washed over her fully, pulling her to sleep.

“Malori?” The name made the girl in question shift on the covers and slowly open her eyes. “What are you doing here?” Velverosa gently brushed her claws through the human’s hair. “Are you hurt? Do I need to kill someone? Should I call for Fhaust?” Her priorities, as usual, were in a strange order.

“My Queen,” Malori sat up on the bed and rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry to come unannounced, but I need advice.”

“Is that all!? I was worried!” Vel’s mood instantly shifted. “I came in here and you were laying on my bed! I thought something might have happened!” When Malori only sadly averted her eyes, she realized that it must be something more serious than she had thought. “Oh… What is it? I’ll permit you to ask me for help.”

“Could you… hold me?” A small smile came on her face but it didn’t hold the usual sparkle that came paired with those words. Vel simply nodded and stood up so she could prepare for bed. Violet eyes averted and before long a night robe clad dragoness scooped up the girl into her arms. Cuddling her gently, she stroked her back in a soothing manner while they laid on their sides.

“I have you.” Vel’s words were simple but held a certain amount of power to them that couldn’t be mistaken. Even if their usual intimacy was bashful or awkwardly sexual, there were still times such as this when a strong embrace and kind words were more than enough to set the smaller human at ease.

“When I returned to the castle,” Malori began softly, “I brought Leora to the throne room and back to the king. We gave a short summary of what happened, and my skills were evaluated… Leora… Discovered I was a demon charmer.” Just as she expected, the arms around her tensed up. “I made sure to have an oath sworn in the room that it wouldn’t get out. The king understood that my life would be in danger if more knew about it.”

“How many know?”

“The king, the Queen, the princess, a few advisors. All directly under the king himself.”

“…Fine. We will deal with that if the time comes.”

Malori nodded lightly before hugging against Vel a little closer and sliding a leg up between hers. “There’s more.” The hand on her back went to thread into her hair now. “Because they know about my ability now, they want to use me in the war. The first task was advising them on something that Duke Shermont is planning on doing soon…”

“What’s that?”

Malori swallowed thickly. “He has ties with slavers. After finding out about demon root and the types of farm animals and crops that we’re sharing now… he wants to buy demon slaves and force them to share the knowledge with the towns farther north.”

“… I’ll deal with that.” Vel frowned at the words. She never liked slave traders to begin with, but ever since she learned a little more about Malori’s past, she had grown to have a particular distaste for them. “Don’t worry, I’ll free them all and turn his plan around on him. We will use this opportunity to expand farther into the continent using demons he brought in himself.”

Malori gripped the sides of Vel’s silken gown. “My Queen… I want to lead the expedition.”

“No.” The word was firm. “You don’t need to handle this personally. You have baggage with slave traders, so there is no need to open old wounds.”

“Demons see strength and power as rights for ruling, don’t they?” Malori pulled back just enough to look up into the golden eyes that had stolen her heart. “So, if anyone knows that I’m terrified of them… If they see how scared I get… They won’t acknowledge my place by your side... so I need to... I have to face this... to stand by you.”

“Malori...” Heaving a sigh, Vel weighed her options. She could deny Malori’s request, but that would mean either having her go into one of her puberty mood swings and end up sneaking off anyway, or she could grant it and have control over the situation. “Fine, but I have conditions.”

“Yes, my queen?”

Pulling Malori back to her breast, she spoke against the soft hair under her chin. “You are to go with a troop of soldiers I will hand pick myself. I will have a seer crystal with you so I can see you at all times… and… You will stay with me tonight.”

Malori felt a wave of comfort pass over her at the words. The usual playful flirts were nice but being caressed like this was something that she was sure she could get used to. “Then I will stay by your side until morning, My Queen”

Vel smiled at that, leaning back and down a little. “There’s a good girl.” Her hand moved along the mage’s neck and up to her ear. “Malori…”

The tone of the voice brought a sudden nervous feeling with it. “Yes, Vel?” Another hand went to the small of her back and she was snuggled close, head tilting up. Violet eyes closed, mouth opening out of instinct.

A thumb ran by Malori’s ear as the demon queen leaned in to claim the lips of the one in her arms. As much as she wanted to keep going, her body stopped when she felt two hard lumps behind the girl’s temple. “Malori?” Her voice was still soft, hand guiding the one in her arms to look to the side. “You have two knots on your head here. Did something happen?”

“Ah,” Malori felt her heart sink. Despite being so close to finally getting a kiss, she still couldn’t blame her love interest for being concerned. “I’m not sure. When I had my fight a little while back with Cerik, they came up. I thought they were going away but seems like my battle today made them come back.”

‘ _You’re way too pretty to have injuries like this._ ’ Velverosa shifted the hair to try and get a better look. “It is bruised pretty bad, does it hurt?”

“It is tender, yes.” Malori sighed out, knowing she wouldn’t get a kiss when Vel was in her caring mood. “The other side has them too.”

“I’ll kill him!”

“Vel!” Malori hugged the larger woman tightly to make sure she couldn’t leave the bed. “It is just a clonk on the head from where he tried to knock me out, it’s fine…” In the back of her mind she tried to make a mental note for Cerik to avoid the queen for the next little bit, at least until the bruises went away. “Please, just stay with me for now.”

Falling back onto the sheets, Velverosa gave up the idea of murder for the moment. “Okay… Get some sleep.” The covers were shifted and the lights turned off with a wave of her hand. Silence fell over them for a moment before words were gently spoken again.

“Hey, uhm… Can I cuddle you while we sleep?”

Before answering, Vel moved to her nightstand so she could drink a transformation potion. Almost at once her tail and horns vanished and she laid on her side so she could spoon the girl. “Fine.”

“Your… tail doesn’t bother me or anything, you know?” Malori blushed darkly as the body heat began to seep into her back.

“Shut up. Sleep.” Gold eyes closed and calming strokes of her hand ran along Malori’s arm to help coach her into resting.

‘ _Just like Queen Vel,_ ’ the girl thought as she began to drift. ‘ _She’s so calm… so strong… and she smells so good…_ ’

Inside of the dragoness’ mind though, was a frenzied mess of chaos. Every muscle in her back was wanting to make her tail sway around spastically in excitement of holding Malori close all night long, but her transformed body couldn’t follow through with the commands. ‘ _If I didn’t drink that potion, neither of us would sleep tonight…_ ’ In the dark, her face was contorted with the effort of keeping herself in check. ‘ _She smells so good, and is so soft…_ ’ Again, her muscles almost twitched in desire of wagging her tail like an overly excited puppy. When Malori’s body shifted, pushing her butt up against Vel’s front more firmly, the queen’s eyes widened. ‘ _Calm. I’m calm. Totally calm…’_

 _‘…My nose is bleeding._ ’

~**~

Malori double checked everything she had with her for the tenth time. After a day of traveling, they had arrived at the town where the slavers were supposed to be making their auction. Like before, the area was desolate, the people walking the line of making choices that they would soon regret. Mixed in were higher class humans, disguised to blend in with those who looked like they were residents there. Despite the compelling clothing, Malori could easily pick them apart from their overall body types. They didn’t look like they only ate a meal every two days…

“Demon General M, does everything look like it should?” Fenn asked softly as she laid next to Malori on top of the roof where they were perched. Velverosa has chosen her as a personal bodyguard for the mage, and although worried about her queen, Fenn wanted to be sure that her friend would be okay as well on such a dangerous mission.

Lowering the binoculars, Malori nodded lightly. “Mmmn.”

“… Details, General?” The voice was concerned.

“Oh. Uhm… Yeah.” The girl pulled the viewing aid back up and looked back over the central square of the town. It was dark but lights were illuminating the area enough to show what she needed. “It looks like they’re about to start showing the slaves… I think the ring leaders are here now. On the right side, more near us.”

At that moment, one of the larger men ran towards the two people that looked more dominant out of everyone around. A male/female combo that wore matching colors of clothing consisting of black and red. The taller of the two had short brown hair, a trimmed beard, scars over his face and a broadsword strapped to his back. The female next to him had flaming red hair that went to her shoulders, piercing violet eyes, and a dagger at her hip.

“Master Hasha, Mistress Keisu!!” One of the traders called to them. “We are ready to display the slaves for auction.”

“Very well.” The man replied simply.

The female pointed to a wagon. “Make sure the demons that fought back are freshly beaten to stir up the fire in them for those who are looking for fighters. As for the children, any that cry are to be sold off first.”

A low growl came next to Malori as Fenn snarled. “This may be more complicated than we thought… I’ve seen pictures of those two before. Known for their cruelty on the market and for how well they deliver what is requested of them. Rumor has it they even sold off their own _child_ before they were even slavers.”

Malori felt sick to her stomach. Her vision began to get hazy around the edges, breath getting short. She was aware of her friend calling her name, but it wasn’t until she was touched did she feel like the world came back to her. All at once she stumbled off to the side and collapsed to her knees, pulling off her mask and throwing up what little she had managed to get down for lunch that day. 

“General…?” Fenn knelt by her, carefully placing a hand onto the girl’s back. “Hey…hey, Mal?”

Shakingly, the girl slowly wiped her mouth with her sleeve before turning to look at Fenn with tears in her eyes. “Those people… are my parents…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hasha and Keisu, the names of Malori's original parents (since I don't know their official names) are named after a friend of mine who is very important to me and may or may not tease me at times. Revenge is a bitch, honey.


	3. Passion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, the rating for this story suddenly turned Mature! I wonder why!?

Many emotions were running through my mind at the moment. Anxiety, rage…fear. Everything was swirling in my mind so fast that my vision was splitting with each pounding thump of my frantically beating heart. Fenn was next to me, one arm around me while using a communication crystal to instruct our troops on what to do. The plan had to go through, and I knew I had to swallow this down and do my part. I came here to settle my past, to move forward, and to prove to myself more than anything that I was worthy to be next to the demon queen. Several breaths were taken and I slowly nodded at Fenn before placing my mask back over my face.

**Seeking III**

**By: Satashi**

Malori forced herself up, trying her best to repress the flashbacks of emotions stinging her mind like tiny needles. The exchanging of gold for her body, the rough wooden brackets around her small wrist, and the hungry looks she got from the older people who owned her. Each one pierced her thoughts while she stood atop the starting slave auction. Cages were now on display, demons and humans alike were standing in a row with chains connecting them, and potential buyers were talking amongst themselves.

“By your signal, general.” Fenn whispered to her.

A stinging in Malori’s head came with the motions of her hands. Lifting up her right arm, she pointed at the middle of the group, where a small group of traders were announcing things. Her left hand pulled back, as if drawing an arrow. “Gale bow,” the words formed a greenish tint of controlled wind at her call. A bow locked in her hand and one eye closed to aim. “Fire arrow.” The call summoned forth a flaming arrow, nocked and ready. Pain stabbed through her temples but she still managed to let the arrow fly before falling back flat on the rooftop.

“Mal!” Fenn whispered softly as the signaling explosion began the invasion. “What happened!?”

“My head…” Malori pulled her hand from her ear when she felt something warm and sticky on it. Blinking, she saw blood in a line along her palm. “What… what happened to me?” Shaking off the pain, a small heal spell helped numb the throbbing in her skull. “Fenn, go! Stick to the plan. Free the slaves, deal with anyone who gets in your way. I’ll…” Turning back to the chaos below, she eyed the two people who were the calmest in the battle. “I’ll do what I have to.”

The mask was adjusted on her face and her hood was pulled up over her hair. “Fenn… Let’s show them that the demon kingdom doesn’t put up with things like this.”

“Right.” Fenn leapt from the roof to join the battle below while Malori stood to her full height, the wind blowing her cloak around her.

“You got this, Mal.” The mage whispered to herself softly. “Feather fall!” The words allowed her to jump from the roof and glide down as if she were falling through a thick layer of fluffy wool. “You chose the wrong career to get into!” The words called the attention of the two leaders shouting out orders to everyone.

“And just who are you!?” The male snapped at her, pointing his sword at her.

Malori grit her teeth, remembering the feel of the large hand on her back as she was pushed forward during the trade. “I am Demon General M! Direct advisor to Queen Velverosa and the one who will put an end to this sick market!”

“What a talker,” he groaned out, not impressed. “Hey, she rambles like you do, hun.”

The female laughed heartily at that. “Oh please. Let me show you how to shut up!”

Moving her hands, Malori pulled up a geyser of water from the ground. “Water wall!” Her body twirled as she danced through it, fingers dragging along the flowing stream to grasp the handle of a sword. With a flick of her wrist, a rapier made of formed water was ripped from it and pointed at them. “Agility up!” With a flash she was already upon the pair, barely missing a stab but managing to easily dodge several attacks herself.

“Is this bitch a mage or a warrior!?” The male swung his sword hard, scoffing when Malori blocked it with her thin blade. Several red strength boosting wisps of magic swirled around her and soon he found himself forced back.

“Die!” A dagger was shoved to Malori’s back, but a swift motion brought forth a one-handed sword made of lightning. “The hell!?”

“Release!” Malori boosted herself into the air, letting her water wall burst forth from her rapier and the lightning bolt spell explode from her sword. The resulting shock was enough to warrant screams from both of the leaders and make them stumble back in a daze. Seeing her chance, Malori tried to bind them together, but as soon as the word left her mouth, a stabbing pain in her head made her fall to one knee. ‘ _What… is going on with me…_?’ Her vision swam, head dipping a bit as she gulped down air between heal spells. Once more, a drop of blood ran down her cheek and dripped to the ground. ‘ _Reflect damage magic!?_ ’

“This twerp!” The red-haired female spat blood angrily. “I know just what to do to mages who think they’re better than me!” Hands moving out, she formed a magic crest. “Anti-magic cage!”

“No!” Malori forced herself up but was still shoved back as an almost birdcage like structure was formed around her. “Crap… crap…” Jumping back, she held out her hand. “Fireball!” Nothing came to her call but the feeling of emptiness. Her eyes darted around to check the status of those around her. The troops she brought were winning the fight against the slavers, but with them using the demons as hostages and living shields, they were taking heavy damage in the process. “Fenn? Fenn!!”

“Look at her, thinking I wouldn’t mute the cage as well…”

“Load her into a wagon along with any remaining slaves.” The bearded male started walking towards a carriage. “Cut the losses, we can sell this one for enough to be set for life.”

‘ _Sell…?_ ’ Malori gripped her fist tightly as random thugs and bandits started to walk towards her cage. ‘ _Not again… I’m not going to be sold again!_ ’ Violet eyes dilated, her body starting to shake. ‘ _Not again… not again…_ ’ A memory came unbidden to her mind. Women her age being abused in front of all the other slaves before being sold off to the highest bidder for personal use. Being treated like nothing more than an item, used for as long as it was convenient before being sold or traded like some secondhand scrap that someone else might fight useful at a discounted price.

‘ _Not again… never again…_ ’ Malori panted out, glaring hard. The flames of the battle were flaring around her, bringing with them glances of the first time she ever saw Velverosa in person. Creating fire, burning anything that opposed her, and helping blaze a new path for her own vision by burning down the old.

**My flames aren’t exactly magic, ya’know… We dragons produce flames from within our bodies.**

Malori’s mind raced, pulling in magical knowledge desperately from her memory. ‘ _Mana was gifted to human not only through the mana tree, but also by the use of items, scrolls, and enchantments. Crests, branded onto certain humans at conception, were gifts of powerful mana reserves. Even if in an anti-magic field, where mana from the tree couldn’t be summoned, it was still possible to use these items and equipment._ ’ As the bandits got closer to her, she braced herself.

‘ _Which means, even if the mana tree can’t give me magic, I can still pull it from myself!_ ’ Her eyes closed, the magical code of all her spells being scouted through. ‘ _If I change the way I power everything… and focus it differently… Then just like queen Vel… I’ll make my own flames!_ ’

Inhaling deeply, Malori arched her back to prepare herself. She could feel the burning energy running up from the core of her body to her mouth, where she focused the combination of spells. With no aid from the mana tree, she instead focused it all in her own way, copying everything she could from the teacher who unwillingly gave her lessons. “Vel’s kiss!”

Leaning forward, Malori opened her mouth as if to scream. The summoned energy formed a blazing ball of fire that grew for just a few seconds before blasting through the cage, the people standing in her path, and finally exploding the carriages into splinters of burning wood and ash. At once the entire scene locked in place for a brief few seconds as the heat and light from the attack drew in everyone’s attention. Then, realizing what they were up against, the retreat command was given.

Malori fell to her knees, ignoring the humans that ran past her in a hurry to escape a fate like that which befell their comrades. Cheering came around her but it was drowned out completely on one side of the girl. Shock and confusion were running through her mind as she reached up, gently touching the sore spot on her head that refused to heal no matter how many spells she cast on it. Her left ear was deaf, blood matted down her hair, and a rock-hard crystalline substance graced her fingertips when she touched it.

“General!” Fenn knelt down next to her. “You okay?”

“I’ll be okay...” Even speaking sent pain rearing through her head. “Get everyone safe and have some search for any traders that are still around. I want the leaders captured.”

“I think you blew them sky high, Mal.”

Malori swallowed down the sick feeling in her stomach. “Please, Fenn. Check.”

“...Right.” Leaving her side, the wolf girl darted off to fulfil the wish asked of her.

‘ _I’ve killed humans..._ ’ Malori slowly stood up, pulling her hood back over her head. Despite the odd sensation and knowledge that she took lives, something else was bothering her. Deep down, she felt like the people who treated other’s lives like items didn’t even count as humans. They were a sub species of neither demon nor human. As she walked, she passed by a fallen male who was struggling to stand from the multiple burn wounds on his body.

“H...help... me...” He raised his hand up to her. 

Violet eyes widened, recognizing him as one who was about to load her cage up into the wagon. Her hand reached out angrily, mouth contorting into a snarl. The palm of her hand began to heat up, mana pouring into it as her breathing picked up heavier and heavier. The man saw the fireball forming before him and screamed loudly, covering his head in fear. Just before the heat overtook him a word shouted out over his yells. “Heal!”

“Huh…?” The man slowly looked up, seeing a panting woman before him. “You…?”

“You’re not worth killing.” Malori told him hotly before allowing two demons in her command to yank him up and haul him off. ‘ _I need to calm down… This isn’t what I wanted to do._ ’ A deep inhale settled her down enough to clear her head. “Okay…” Walking to the burning carriages, she focused her mana to start dousing the flames and helping free the slaves. “Time to move onto phase two.”

~**~

“Welcome back, Malori.” Velverosa greeted her mage when she showed up at the tower again. The meeting room was filled with the generals, each of them beaming at her with a huge banner over them congratulating her on an amazing run. “I’ll have you know that the underpopulated town you took the slaves to were more than willing to accept them. The demons and humans who went through all that together had no problems looking past their differences and took to living together easily. We’ve expanded almost halfway back into the continent and it is all thanks to you.”

“Three cheers for Malori!” Berkz called out cheerfully.

“Th-thanks everyone.” Malori felt herself blushing hard as all her friends celebrated her victory.

“Hmm?” Melathia slid across the floor over to her and wrapped around the girl happily. “You should be happy! Where is all that fire you usually have?”

Malori gave a weak smile. “S-sorry, I just kind of have a headache.” Without even realizing it, a hand went to her temple and she flinched at the touch of even just her fingertip. The action made the lamia move close to inspect the area and a smile came over her face.

“No wonder… Queen Velverosa, I think you should see this.” With a pleased laugh, she slithered aside to whisper to the curious generals.

“Malori, come here.” Vel waited for the redhead to get to her before gently pinching her chin between her thumb and forefinger so she could tilt her head. Her other hand carefully moved hair back to reveal purple crystal poking from the girl’s skin in two places, the area around it inflamed and red. “Oh my…” A chuckle escaped her mouth. “It wasn’t a bruise after all… Looks like your spurs are growing.”

“Her horns are finally growing in!?” Conoleth squealed out loudly when she finally heard what was going on. “Oh my gosh, Malori hit _puberty_!”

Violet eyes widened in shock. “Hey! I… I already… I’m not going through puberty!” Cheeks red, she turned back to Vel, who had an amused look on her face. “I can’t be growing horns, I’m a human!”

“Well you are.” Vel retorted, a mix of pride and amusement on her face. “I thought you humans hit this stage a lot younger, but I was wrong apparently.”

“I already went through puberty!” Malori denied her again. “I’m an adult woman!”

“Says the horn teether!” Fhaust teased her.

Conoleth waved it off. “Don’t worry, Mal! I was your age when my horns started to grow in too. We are both in the late bloomers club.” Despite the flailing and protests, she continued. “Well, just take care of them and you’ll be fine.” The yelling died off instantly. “You… do… know how to handle your body changes during puberty right?”

“I… I mean…. I’m not… I don’t…” Malori suddenly looked worried. “Wait… wait… This isn’t happening…” Slowly she turned to Vel, confusion and fear in her eyes. “My Queen, what am I supposed to do?”

The demon queen rose to her full height all at once. She was about to ask why she should have to teach her about these kind of things but before she could open her mouth, she remembered that the girl before her was not only a human, but didn’t have a mother either. The anger died inside of her and she instead gave a weak smile to her. “Don’t worry, Malori, I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

“…Thank you, Queen Vel.” A single step was taken forward and she embraced her love interest fully. “I knew I could count on you.”

“Oh yeah,” Melathia suddenly realized. “If she’s going through puberty now, that means she can get pregnant. Be careful, my queen.”

“Why you little…!!”

“Woo! Queen Vel’s going to be a mommy!” Berkz called out as the generals split up to run away from the arcane spears being thrown at them.

“I’ll kill you all!” Vel’s scream was heard throughout the corridors. Despite the threat, she didn’t actually pursue them. Instead she tried to calm herself down and look at Malori before her. “Let me look.” The request was granted once more and she got to inspect the horns growing without having everyone staring at them. “Just like my dreams…”

“Dreams?”

“Ah?” Realizing what she said, Vel cleared her throat. “You misunderstood me. I said ‘just like it seems.’ As in, they’re most certainly horns. However, they look like they’re made of a kind of crystal instead of bone…”

“Maybe because I’m human? We shouldn’t be able to grow these.” Malori cupped both sides of her head. “And the pain is unbearable… Did you go through this when you grew yours?”

“Every demon does. Luckily for you, there is a cream that really helps with it.” Looking to the side, she called out loudly. “Pookas!” at her call, several smaller demons ran up to her from outside the room. “I need teething cream for Malori’s horns, as well as a small container for her to keep with her.”

All at once the cute little demons started squealing and dancing happily around the girl in question. “Malori is finally becoming a woman!” One of them shouted happily.

“We’ll be sure to let everyone know you’re coming of age!”

“Congratulations, Malori!”

The mage felt all the color drain from her face as the three ran off, happily cheering amongst themselves about her adolescent years finally starting. “Could we _not_ tell everyone about this, please?” Turning back, she suddenly realized something. “Wait a second… if anyone at school sees these… Oh Vel, what am I going to do!? I need to find a way to get rid of them!”

“Why? I like them.” Vel sat down on her large chair at the head of the table and extended her hand towards Malori. “Keep them. Take care of them so they grow properly.”

“I can’t, I’m a human! Even if you command me, I-”

“I’m not commanding you!” Vel grabbed Malori’s wrist when she was close enough and pulled her the rest of the way into her lap. “I’m asking you. Keep them… I like them. I like the way you look like that… the way you look in your demon outfit…in a dark purple cloak with black fluff, with long hair and horns accenting your face…”

“Vel…?”

“You were amazing on the field,” Vel praised her. “You made me so proud… Overcoming your fears, doing what you needed to even though you were… put in those situations.” Before Malori could shift moods, she pressed on. “The way you fought, the way you… named a spell after me…”

“… Vel’s kiss.”

“You’re copying me more and more…”

Malori shifted so she was straddling Vel’s lap fully. “I want to be like you… Vel… please teach me.”

“…Dragons don’t share their powers with anyone who aren’t their lover.”

Blinking, Malori stumbled over her words. “B-but I’ve been copying you for so long now that…” When the queen’s face didn’t contort with anger or accusation, a new feeling started pulling at her heart. “… And… you’ve praised me for learning them…”

“I have.”

“And… you liked it when…. When I named the spell…” Realization was slowly starting to creep into her mind, her rapidly beating gay heart leveling up at the thought. “Does… does this mean that… I’m qualified to be… your lover?”

“That is yet to be seen.” Vel leaned forward, a hungry look in her eyes. “Do you think someone as frail as you could possibly be a match for me? I’d break you, Malori.”

The words triggered the natural playful response. “Oh? Try me, my queen? I’ll have you know my stamina stat is quite hi _iiigh!?_ ” Her word ended in a squeak as her rear was palmed, body being picked up and sat on the table as Velverosa stood. “What’s going on?”

“I warned you.” One hand pressed on Malori’s chest and forced her onto her back in a swift push. “Be careful what you wish for, little girl.”

“I’m not a little girl!” With those words, a meeping pooka ran into the room cheerfully to give the queen what was asked of her. Vel didn’t waste time in opening the small container and getting some of the blue tinted cream on her fingers to smear over both hands. “What is that?”

“Something to make your horns healthy and make it stop hurting.” The answer was simple and direct. Without any hesitation she reached forward and carefully started to rub it onto the crystal parts on Malori’s temples. At first the girl winced in pain but soon started to relax, a pleased look on her face. “If you would have told me you were teething the other night, we could have taken care of it then.”

“I didn’t know,” Malori protested. “I thought they were just bruises… Besides, you couldn’t tell either.”

“Watch your mouth.”

“Kiss me and maybe I won’t backtalk.”

A frown set on Vel’s face, her eyes narrowing. “I’ve had enough of your lip. You keep talking like you think I won’t act on your words.”

Malori just smiled up at her in return, still lying on the table. “But you’re so cute when you get embarrassed!”

Growling, the queen pointed at the girl. “Bind!” The spell locked the girl’s wrists to the table on either side of her as well as her thighs parted so they could be bound to the edge of the furniture as well.

“M-my Queen!?” Velverosa slowly ran a claw along Malori’s leg, smirking at the sight. The mage shivered reflexively at the action, gasping as one of her boots was tugged down to clatter onto the floor. “I… I…” The other boot followed, leaving her barefoot. “What are you…?”

“You requested a kiss, did you not?” Vel asked casually. “I think after all you’ve done for me, you deserve one.” Her clawed hand ran up Malori’s thigh, pushing the dress up a little more.

“R-really!?”

“Yes.” Vel put both hands next to the bound girl, grinning devilishly down at her. “I just haven’t decided _where_ I’ll kiss you yet.” Silver hair fell down over the girl as Vel lowered her head so she could talk against the fabric covering Malori’s stomach. “Here maybe?” Slowly gliding lower, she breathed out hotly. “Or maybe… here?”

“V-Vel!?”

“This spot looks delicious…” Nosing the girl’s inner thigh, she inhaled the amazing scent that she committed to memory so long ago. “Do you think you deserve a kiss here, Malori?”

“Mm…nngh…” Pulling against the binds, she struggled to form coherent words.

“How rude, not answering your queen.” Instead of a kiss, Vel pressed her teeth against the sensitive skin of Malori’s thigh, biting her softly and sucking to leave a mark surrounded by a hot ring of red that matched her fangs. The action warranted a sharp cry from the girl laying on the table, followed by hot, labored breath. “Try again. Do you deserve a kiss here, Malori?” Her tongue pressed against the mark, soothingly licking the wound to help calm the pain she had caused.

Malori closed her eyes tightly, all of her senses on high alert. Her whole body felt like it had broken into a hot sweat and her right leg almost felt like it was on fire. A burning desire was starting to blossom inside of her but compared with the words asked of her and her situation, she struggled to comprehend exactly what was going on. “I... I mean… I think… I… maybe I…?” Another bite came, this one on her other leg. “Ahhhhnnnnggghhh!” The girl’s back arched, wrist pulling on the restraints. The tongue came again and once more Malori felt her mind melting in an erotic bliss.

“Third time…” Vel inched closer up Malori’s leg, hands pushing the dress up more and more. “Do you deserve a kiss here, Malori?”

“Ya….Yahssshh…” The word was slurred, drunken on the emotions running like fire in her veins. To her surprise she was bitten again. Suction came, a warm tongue soothing the love mark, and Vel pampered it by blowing softly onto the area. ‘ _God that feels so good…_ ’

“Answer clearly and properly,” Vel demanded of her.

“Y-yes my queen.” Taking several deep breaths, she let her head thunk back onto the table and watering eyes look up at the ceiling. “I… I do think I deserve to be kissed there, my queen.” This time a soft kiss came on her skin, tongue licking up her flesh even closer to the crease of where her legs met the lines of her body.

“Why?” Vel pushed.

“Be… because… I…” She felt her queen’s mouth open, teeth being bared against her and pressure slowly being applied. “I am loyal to you!” Soothing licking came, moving closer and closer to the area that was starting to grow increasingly sensitive. Breathing out, Malori started to pant harder.

“You are, aren’t you?” Two hands moved up, gripping the sides of the purple lace that covered Malori’s love. ‘ _Conoleth made these purple just because she knows it’s my favorite color…_ ’

“My Queen!?” Violet eyes widened in shock.

“Do you want your kisses or not!?”

Slowly the girl looked to the side, face stained in a dark blush. “…I do.”

“That’s what I thought.” Vel smirked, leaning up so she could look Malori in the eyes while pulling the panties down. “All that talk, yet when I touch you, you turn into a submissive little rabbit, don’t you?” When the girl didn’t answer, Vel instead snapped the sides of the panties to toss them onto the table next to her. “ _Answer me, Malori_.”

Hearing the way her name was throatily snarled out did way more for her than she cared to admit in the moment. “Y-yes, my queen.”

“Yes, what?” Vel hunched over more so she could run her nose up Malori’s throat, following it with her tongue.

“Yes, I’m… submissive…”

“Like a pet.” The words came against her cheek, hot breath dancing along Malori’s ear and sensitive growing horns that were numbed with the cream. “Are you my pet, little mage?”

Feeling a hand running up her side and looping over to her stomach under her dress, she couldn’t help but gasp out. “Y…Yes…”

“Yes, what?” The claws of Vel’s hands trailed along the soft skin, leaving lines but not actually hurting her. “Say it, Malori. What are you?”

“I’m… your pet.” The words broke halfway with a whine of desperation. “Please, my queen… Please stop teasing me… I… I want it…”

Velverosa grinned smugly at the words. “That’s more like it.” Her tone dropped down into a husky, flirting tone. “Beg me.”

“Please… Just… Just move your hand a bit lower.”

A throaty chuckle came at those words. “I thought you said you deserved a kiss? Are you going back on your word after saying how loyal you were?” Vel’s hand lightly grazed the flame red hair right above Malori’s lower lips. “You keep saying to kiss you, and that you deserve to be kissed here…” To specify where, she tapped the sensitive nub at the top directly. The action worked as she had hoped and her binds were tested from kicking legs. “Now, my pet mage… What do you want?”

Malori’s body was shaking, breath uneven and eyes closed tightly. She had to swallow thickly before she could form the words her queen wanted to hear. “I want… you to kiss me.”

“Where?”

Another swallow, voice growing higher in pitch from embarrassment. “Between my legs, my queen.”

Satisfied with playing with her prey, Vel trailed her hands down Malori’s body. Taking her time to enjoy it now, she took in all the curves and lines of the form. ‘ _She’s so much weaker than demons… Her body is softer, squishier… it feels so much nicer than anyone else I’ve had sex with…_ ’ The binds on Malori’s legs were broken in favor of holding them herself. She spread them a little more, pushing the dress up past the girl’s bellybutton. ‘ _She’s so small… Even the shorter demons I’ve been with were almost a foot or more taller than her…_ ’

A soft whine of pleasure came from the girl laying down when Vel started running a trail of kisses down over the bite marks she had placed earlier. Then, finally, she ran her tongue up against the glistening folds before her. Malori shrieked out, pulling on the binds and panting for several seconds after the first contact was made. ‘ _Is this her first time?_ ’ Vel changed her course of action to try and better fit the human girl before her.

Clawed fingers held slender hips, lifting them up slightly for a better angle. Velverosa’s tongue pushed against the folds once more, parting them and sliding up between the slickened lips all the way up to the clit at the tip. She could feel each twitch Malori made in her thighs, could tell each and every little spasm she had from the pleasure being brought to her from the intimate act.

The demonic tongue slid over the sensitive area again and again, tasting the human and feeling the differences between her and what she was used to. Moments turned to minutes and soon she moved her thumbs to part the girl before her, opening her folds to clearly see the beauty before her. “My Queen,” Malori whined embarrassedly down at her. “Don’t look at it!”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she replied easily enough. Truthfully, she was embarrassed as well, not necessarily because of the act, but because of how entranced she was from it. Despite being with different demons before, of varying skin colors and each with a differently looking vaginas, Malori’s seemed… unique.

‘ _Is it because she’s human?_ ’ Vel leaned forward once more, touching her nose to Malori’s clit and slipping her tongue up inside of the squirming girl. She was tight, which might be from her inexperience but could also be from their size difference and length of her tongue as well. ‘ _Is it because she’s a demon charmer? Does sex make the passive skill more powerful?_ ’ By now Malori was panting openly, head turning from side to side while her mouth was forming half words of pleasure. ‘ _Or is it because… I don’t want to be without her?_ ’

“My Queen… My queen… Vel!” Back arching, Malori let out a high-pitched gasp followed by several whimpers and shrieks of primal desire and release. Her toes curled, fingernails pressing into the table her wrists were bound to, and legs being held in place firmly to prevent them from lashing out uncontrollably. When the body blitz finally ended, she fell into a sweating mess onto the table, sucking in air through hard gasps. Her hair was matted to her face, violet eyes dazed and glazed over.

‘ _After only one?_ ’ Vel looked down at her with an amused smirk. “And just who was boasting about their stamina earlier, little pet?” To her surprise, she got a pleased, cooing sound as a reply. Malori managed to look up at her, a blissful look on her face and glowing smile on her lips. It was enough to make the demon’s heart skip a beat and body sweep the girl up into her arms. “I’ll carry you to my bedroom… You’re staying with me again.”

“Y…yes, my queen…” Her head leaned onto Vel’s shoulder, still in a state of total bliss.

‘ _Is this… what they call afterglow?_ ’ Vel’s cheeks colored darkly, her tail knocking over everything in its path as it wagged fiercely behind her on their way to her private chambers.


	4. Friendship

Being late for class wasn’t something I was particularly known for. I always tried to keep myself ahead of everyone else, on top of the lessons so I would be the best of the best. If no one was above me, then that meant that I knew no one else could stand a chance at beating queen Vel. Now, however, I found myself slacking a little. My strength was coming from mock battles with the demon generals, sparring sessions with Velverosa herself, and weaving my own magic into spells I already knew. School was more or less a formality at this point in time, but I knew I had to finish it no matter what. My adoptive father wanted to see me graduate, and I wanted to make him proud of me.

**Seeking IV**

**By: Satashi**

“Glad you could join us Malori,” the instructor greeted when the girl tried to slip in through the back of the classroom. “Since you are so late, maybe you would like to demonstrate what it is I’ve been teaching everyone?”

Put on the spot, the girl tiredly made her way to her desk and sat her books down. “Sorry, professor. I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.”

“Fantastic!” Holding out his hand, he summoned a magical circle around it. “The truth spell is used in many situations, for example a court room where someone is standing trial, or a key witness to an event. Normally the willpower of the person being cast on can counteract the spell, but since Malori volunteered to help, she is bound by its magic. Now, Miss Crowett, why were you so late today?”

Mouth opening, she suddenly found herself unable to lie. “I… I was kept up… all night… and am tired…”

“Oh my. Studying no doubt?”

“N-no, I…” Not being able to stop talking, her eyes widened. “I was being held by the demon queen.” All at once the whole classroom started murmuring and the professor looked at her in shock.

“Miss Crowett, if you’re injured or worn out, you should seek the nurse before you come to class! Don’t worry about your lessons, take care of your body!”

“I’m okay!” Malori insisted at once. “Even though we went at it for so long, I managed to leave the tower this morning…” Gulping, she tried to not say the rest. “She’s a demon! She never let up no matter how much I screamed for mercy; I’m running on pure stat boosts right now.” A hand clamped over her mouth and she looked to the side to see Cerik next to her.

“Uhm, she rambles a lot. I think I should escort her to the nurse so she can get some proper rest before she starts going on in detail about the battle… we’d be here all day.” Malori mumbled against his hand. “What’s that, Mal? Your stat bonuses are running low? Now worries, I got you.” Sweeping her up, her began to carry her out of the room princess style. “I’ll handle this! Don’t wait up, bye!” Before anything could be said he left the room and kicked the door closed behind him. “The hell, Malori?”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it!” She let him gently place her feet back on the ground so they could walk to one of their usual goof off spots. “No matter what I tried to say, the words just came out wrong…”

“Truth spells are dangerous… Just be careful for a bit until it wears off. What happened last night anyway?”

“Queen Vel ate me out until I lost consciousness.” The girl slapped both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide in shock.

“The mission, Mal!” Cerik almost shouted at her, eyes wide and face looking like he was conflicted if he wanted to be shocked or disgusted. “Only talk about the mission, nothing else, okay?” He got a small nod and the girl carefully lowered her hands.

“It… wasn’t pleasant.” The two entered into a smaller courtyard and moved over to a large tree that blocked a small area from sight. It wasn’t much, but it offered privacy and shade from the sun for them. After sitting down together they leaned back against the bark and took a moment to just enjoy being away from everyone else.

“I knew it wouldn’t be easy on you. I was worried.”

“Sorry.” The girl sighed softly, bringing her knees up to hug them. “Truthfully… I saw my parents.” She saw Cerik’s hand flinch at the words from the corner of her eye. “…Yeah. Turns out they’re not only still alive but really big name slavers.”

“…Shit.” The curse was angry but softly spoken at the same time. “I should have gone with you…”

“No, I know you hate the idea of doing anything for… them.” A small breath was taken, her voice dropping just a bit lower. “They were the leaders for the…event… We stopped it and I had a skirmish with them.” Her words broke near the end and she felt an arm go over he shoulders. Gently leaning onto her friend, she took a small bit of comfort from his presence. “I almost lost because I got careless, but… I won. I cast a big spell and… although we caught a lot of people, we couldn’t find them or their bodies.”

“Bodies? Did it get that out of hand?”

It took a long moment for the redhead to get the next few words out. “I killed seven slave traders with that spell.” It was barely more than a whisper but it took everything she had. “I almost took out another one too, on purpose that time… but I got myself in check before I could… I healed him and got him tied up…” Her forehead rested against her knees.

“…I’m relieved, honestly.” Cerik looked up at the gently swaying leaves above him. “That you feel this way, I mean.” His usually playful attitude was gone for the moment, instead showing concern for his friend. “Death is serious, and you seem to see that… What you did was harsh, but I’m sure it wasn’t without cause. Thing is, Mal, I don’t like the way they teach everyone about that… We’ve both died enough times to not even really be bothered by it. Death is just part of the game for us… When we protect those who can’t revive, it is different, but when it comes to demons, we’re rewarded for taking them out. Huge mob? No worries, just rush in swinging. Get killed, respawn, run back, do it again.” Sighing out, he gave a humorless chuckle. “Sorry, I got serious on you.”

“…When did you get so worldly?” Malori tilted her head at him.

“I read a book.” Cerik cracked a grin, his usual self coming back. When he got a grin, he continued. “But anyway, that means they’re still out there somewhere, huh? Your parents?”

“Seems so.”

“…Do you want to find them?”

Malori shook her head. “I never want to see them again… The nightmares are bad enough as it is. Even when… she… held me, I still had them.” Although having to watch her words while on school grounds, Cerik knew all to well what was being said. “I dozed in and out of sleep all night and woke up every hour or so drenched in sweat… I have a feeling I’ll be making dreamless sleep potions again.”

“That’s too addictive.”

Flashing back to a few years ago, she recalled Cerik gripping her from behind and hauling her kicking and screaming out of her apartment. Broken glass and fluids were all over a desk and floor, mixed with plants ground up herbs. “Heh… Yeah, don’t want to go through that again.”

“You’re telling me, I still have a scar where you bit me.” The male chuckled without humor. “Do you want me to stay at your place a bit until the nightmares start to fade?”

“If you could.” A small silence came over them as they sat together.

“So, finally progressed with your love interest, huh?” The words sounded a bit like a proud older brother.

“Y-yeah…” Malori blushed deeply.

“Guess that means you can help ol’ Cerik out a little more then, huh!?”

Side eying the happily laughing boy, she spoke the next words purposely just to spite him. “Did you know dragons have prehensile tongues?”

“Yeah? Well lamia have prehensile tails!” The friends locked eyes for a few seconds before Cerik broke contact with red cheeks. “Let’s pretend I didn’t say that.” He got a snort and felt Malori lean against him again. A few minutes of silence passed before he finally spoke up again. “Hey, next period will start soon, we should probably…” His voice died off slowly when he saw the girl sleeping soundly against his side. “…Yeah, I guess I can skip it.”

~**~

The sun was starting to set, signaling the end of classes soon. A few days of nothing of interest had Cerik and Malori both in a crafting room with a few other students trying to finish the week’s assignment a little early. “You sure this will work?” Malori asked softly while her hands worked a small pipette to get just a drop of red liquid into a vial.

“Of course,” Cerik mixed a few ingredients together casually, going more by sight than by measurement. “I’ve enchanted hundreds of items ever since I was little, it’s one of the first things I learned as a craftsman.” Annoyed with his friend’s over thinking, he just tapped her hand to make the drop fall. “Just add it, it’s not going to blow up.”

Malori jumped back as a puff of smoke erupted from her vial. “Oh yeah!?”

“Always does that.” Cerik threw in some more ingredients, corked his flask, and started to violently shake it.

“You’re supposed to stir it, not shake!”

“Yeah, well, I made three batches.” Cerik held it away from himself just as the cork blew off the top, hit the ceiling, and landed on his open palm so he could put it back on. “There, done, three doses of holy enchantment. How’s your little vial of antimagic?”

Malori held up her small test tube. “I think I’m done?”

“…Should be clear.” Cerik hummed. “What’s it going on?”

“Leather.”

“Then use this.” Reaching to the side, he grabbed some ointment for leather polish. “It will help it soak in.” Malori eyed him skeptically but allowed him to dab some into her vial. At first it swirled around violently, but soon began to settle and turn a creepily see-through crystal.

“It’s like it vanished!”

“Told you.” The male stretched out. “Let’s get some food. I’m starving.”

“I could go for some stew tonight; it’s starting to get chilly in the evenings.” Malori rubbed her arms. “I have a heat enchantment on my apartment, but the tower is really large and demons really prefer the cold anyway so it’s always freezing when I’m there.”

At once Cerik started daydreaming. “Ahhh, but I’m sure I could be warm wrapped in Melathina’s coils… We should go back, it’s been a few days.”

“You just want to test that thought. Gag me.”

“Oh shut it, miss prehensile tongue.”

“At least I _got_ laid.”

Cerik snorted. “Oral doesn’t count as losing your V-card, Mal.”

“Yes it does!”

“Does not! That’s like saying a guy isn’t a virgin because he got a blowjob!”

“You say that like you’ll ever get a blowjob!” Malori countered, a smirk on her face while she covered her mouth coyly. “From what I remember when we were kids maybe you’re too small for that kind of thing anyway.”

Cerik’s eye twitched. “You bitch!” Swinging at her, Malori ducked and started to run.

“Come and get me, tiny boy!” She taunted with a laugh.

“Calling me tiny, miss A cups!?”

Malori shot a tiny fireball at him, which he simply batted out of the way. “I’m a B cup!”

“Next to Queen Velverosa you look like a wash board!” Laughter came with the words and his smile only got wider when he saw Malori’s face go dark red. “Aw, what’s the matter? Dragon got your tongue?”

Malori turned on the spot and dove at him, the two friends clashing on the floor and rolling through the hallway as they threw punches and insults at each other’s kinks. “Lamia stalker! Stocking pervert!”

“Dragon chaser! Butthole watcher!”

“You weren’t even there for that, lace boy!”

“Don’t talk to me about staying canonical, miss holiday special pin up art! Succubus!”

“That was only one time!!”

“Oh, I’m suuuuuuuuuuuuuure!” Cerik found himself kicked off from Malori and he waved his hand in a come-hither motion. The mage yelled at him and formed magic circled around her wrists instead. “Whoa! Mal! Limits!” His friend jumped at him and he held up his hands to defend from the blow. The sound of shattering glass came paired with a thunk as they both fell to the ground, magic fizzling out.

“Ow… Oww!” Malori pulled at her clothing. “What the, ow!”

“Did you get cut?” Cerik pulled off his wet gloves and flung them onto the floor so he could wipe his hands off onto his jeans. “Ugh, our vials broke, great job, idiot.”

“No, Cerik, it really burns!” Malori tugged her dress down a bit more, showing inflamed red skin that was starting to blister up white.

“Allergic reaction?” Cerik stood quickly, grabbing her hand and jerking her into a nearby empty classroom. “Take your clothes off.” The mage was already on it but had to let her friend finish the job when her arms started to refuse to listen to her. “What the hell…” Cerik’s eyes took in the situation quickly. “My potion is trying to enchant your body instead of armor, I think.”

“Stop it!” Malori cried out, tears forming in her eyes. “Cerik it _burns!_ ”

“I’m sorry, hold on.” Placing his hand on her chest, right under her collar bone, he focused hard. “Dispel!” A wave of black energy washed over the girl, drying most of the liquid. “Again… Bear with it, Mal… _Dispel!_ ” This time the flash evaporated the rest of the whitish water from the mage with a powerful gust of wind. “…What the hell…” His hand slowly went to Malori’s ear, tucking some hair aside to look at the crystal growth that was now visible that the hiding spell was pushed off.

Before anything could be said, the classroom door opened and a large man stepped inside. His face looked down sternly and Cerik immediately recognized him as the student body moral community leader. “What the hell are you two doing!?”

Cerik gulped thickly, his head slowly turning to look at a weak Malori cradled in his arms. She only had her panties on, was covered in sweat, had tears in her eyes and was clutching his shirt while panting gently. He on the contrary, was over her, had his hands on her body, and was embracing her closely. “This… this isn’t what it looks like!”

“Get dressed. Then out here. Now!” The door slammed hard, giving them privacy to get Malori decent.

“Damn it… damn it!” Cerik carefully sat up the girl. “Malori… Mal, listen, I need you to heal okay?” A weak nod answered him and he turned his attention to the wet clothing on the floor. ‘ _What the hell… My formula was right… This smells right…_ ’ His finger lightly touched a wet spot, feeling only a cold, slimy substance. ‘ _It feels like the regular enchanting oil… So why did it mess up Mal so bad?_ ’

“I think… I’m okay…” Malori covered herself with her arms, staying on the floor. “Are my clothes good?”

“…No, they’re covered in the enchanting potion. They need to sit to absorb it.” Pulling off his coat, he tugged his white shirt over his head after it. “Here.” As Malori put it on, he took off his belt so she could tighten it around her waist. “It will look like a tunic this way.”

“Yeah… I don’t think anyone will know.” The shirt went to her knees, and with the added belt, it indeed looked like a simple dress. Violet eyes watched her friend put his jacket back on. “What do we do now?”

“Tell the truth? I botched a potion, it got on you and burnt your skin, and I dispelled it.”

“…Yeah.” Malori sighed out softly. “He didn’t… see me, did he?”

Cerik snorted. “Of course not; I covered you.” Placing a hand on the girl’s head, he tried to give a supportive smile. “Think I’d let someone see my best friend vulnerable?” His caring look turned serious for a moment. “I won’t ask questions, but I’ll say it again. I won’t let someone see my best friend vulnerable… so whatever I dispelled on your head, fix it.”

Hands went to check the budding horns on the sides of her head, fear gripping her heart. “Crap…Crap!”

A furious voice came from the other side of the door. “Hurry it up!”

Thinking fast, the girl ruffled her hair furiously so it would fall over the crystal spurs. “I’ll just have to play it safe and keep his eyes off me… thank you Cerik.”

“Call it even for hurting you.” Grunting, he kicked open the door so they could walk out.

“Where is your shirt!?” The man roared.

“My apologies, mister Soarauss.” Cerik tried to put on his best facade of a model student. “You see, we had an accident with a messed-up potion of enchanting. It spilled onto Malori and was causing burn damage so I-”

“Don’t lie to me!” The tall male hit the side of the wall with a loud thump. “I’ve had it up to here with you top students thinking you can skirt the school rules whenever you want!”

Malori’s eyes looked to the side. ‘ _Well, we kind of can, we have the king’s support.’_

“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” Soarauss bellowed at her, getting eyes back on him. “You two have caused me so much trouble! I’m sick of it! You’re making our school look bad!”

Cerik raised his hand curiously. “Sir? We haven’t really done anything to cause trouble?”

“Then _why_ is _this_ on the front page of our weekly newspaper!?” A paper was pulled from his briefcase and shoved towards them.

Looking, the pair saw a picture of them asleep together under a tree. Malori was tucked under his arm and leaning on him while his head rested on hers. The words ‘ _Academy’s top two sneak away from class to share a nap together under the shade of their private tree!_ ’ was above it in bold font followed by a small story about the famous couple of the school being caught yet again skipping together.

‘ _Vel will kill him if she sees this!_ ’ Malori panicked at once.

‘ _Melathia will get the wrong idea!_ ’ Cerik gasped. “Sir! You can’t believe this! Malori just battled the queen and was tired! I had permission to let her rest!”

“A likely story! And then I catch you about to have sex in a classroom!”

“With _her/him!?_ ” The two pointed at each other in disgust, voices talking over each other.

“You didn’t seem too hesitant to take her clothes off!”

Cerik shook his head. “We took baths together as kids! She’s like my sister! Wait, why is all this suddenly _my_ fault anyway!? She’s the horndog!”

Malori turned on him. “You take that back, snake boy!”

“Make me, pervert!”

“ _Enough_!” Soarauss yelled at them both. “I’m not having any more of this! For the next two weeks you two will stay five feet apart at all times!” His hand moved between them, magic flinging a small wave and forcing them to both sidestep several time. “I’ll talk with the headmistress to determine your punishment accordingly. Until then, _five feet_!”

The two stayed silent in the hallway as the instructor walked away from them. Moments passed by in antagonizing anger before they finally sighed out and began to walk back to the room together. “I’ll get your clothes…” Cerik mumbled grumpily. His body was suddenly pushed forward, making him rapidly take several steps. “H-hey, don’t shove!”

“I didn’t!” Malori complained at once. “…Wait… wait!” Slowly reaching out, she took a few steps forward before a pressure started to force her backwards. “That… that jerk!”

Cerik tried to reach for her hand, only succeeding in making them both stumble backwards. “This can’t be legal!” Staring at each other a moment, they each looked away. “I’ll clean your clothes and drop them by your house… I think… you should teleport to the tower for now. Stay there at night.”

“… I don’t want anyone to hear me yelling if I have nightmares.”

“I can’t stay with you.” Cerik punched the wall, leaving splinters and a small bit of dust falling from it. “We’ll have to deal with it until we can talk to the headmistress ourselves. Just… Just don’t be alone, okay? I know how much this gets to you.”

“… Yeah. Thank you Cerik.” Sighing softly, she started the teleportation spell. “See you soon… Teleport!”

Cerik leaned against the wall and looked across the empty classroom. “Malori… Were those… horns?”

~**~

Velverosa let out a small sigh as she leaned against a wall of her throne room. Despite offering a double loot reward on the weekend, it seemed like no challengers were strong enough to make it even two-thirds up her tower, let alone up to challenge her. ‘ _Maybe I should have a mock battle with Malori again? It’s been a week or two since our last one…_ ’ Despite her love for the mage, the burning desire in her demon blood to test her strength against a worthy opponent was still strong. Malori was one of the few that could put her on her toes, even if winning was still years of experience away.

The girl in question entered the room at that moment, her usual smile weaker than normal. “Afternoon, Queen Vel.” Glancing around, she noticed the pristine room and the bored looking ruler. “No challengers?”

“None.” Her tail began to move on its own when the scent of freshly baked bread hit her nose. “ What am I smelling?” She watched Malori hold up a woven basket packed to the brim with different types of pastries. “Oh my!”

“I made a lot!” Before she could even take a few steps over the pookas had already brought a table and were brewing tea for them “I also made some fresh butter to go on them and undercooked each loaf just a bit so when I put a heat enchantment on the basket, they would be just right when I got here.” To prove her point, she removed the checkered towel from over the bread and the sweet scent increased at once.

Mouthwatering, Vel forced herself to look calm as she reached for her favorite, only to have Malori hand it to her halfway. “Th-thank you.”

“I know what you like, so I made sure to make two!”

Vel beamed at her. “How long did it take you to do all this?”

“Only a few hours. Don’t underestimate the daughter of a baker!” Taking a bite of one herself, she chewed slowly.

“How are your horns? Do they still hurt bad?” Vel moved to reach over the table to look, only to have Malori lean back.

“Uhm, I’d rather not have them be touched, they’re sensitive.”

“I want to see how they are.”

Malori shrank back again. “But I can’t recast the illusion spell, so if I remove it then.”

“Dispel!” Vel shouted, making a wave pass through the girl. “Don’t talk back!”

“S-sorry my queen!” Malori held up her bread to try and cover her face. The motion jut caused Vel to stand and walk around the table to heft the girl up. “Eh!?”

“I knew you were hiding something…” Tilting up Malori’s chin, she looked closely at her face. “Beautification spells to hide the bags under your eyes and to remove the redness. You made your skin look brighter and your hair fluffier. It all went away when I dispelled the horn illusion. Malori, you look like a wreck… Last time I saw you like this, you pushed yourself without sleep for three days straight.”

“Sorry, my queen… It’s been rough.”

“What is going on? Are you not sleeping again? I’ll tie you to the bed if I have to.”

“Promise?” Malori looked up hopefully.

Vel growled at her. “I’m not falling for that. Answers. Now.” Crossing her arms, she let a clawed fingertip tap on her skin in annoyance. “Why does my pet look like hell?”

“Y…your pet…” With a hot blush, she began to rub her hands together and shift on her feet. “Well, they say the best way to make your pet look better is to bathe them and brush their hair and- ow!” Holding her head, she looked up weakly. “That hurt!”

“It was supposed to!” Vel snapped back angrily. “Don’t give me that right now, can’t you see I’m worried about you? I’m your queen, damn it! You will respect me as such!” A long silence passed over them as Malori just looked down at the floor. Shame and worry were on her face, mixed with the feelings of confusion and regret. “Weren’t you the one who said you wanted me to know more about you?”

“I… want you to think I’m strong.”

“You are strong.” Sharp claws gently traced the girl’s face. “Sometimes it takes even greater strength to admit when you have a weakness that needs to be covered. Malori, I am extraordinarily strong, but I still have an army protecting me. I can’t do everything by myself and knowing that is one reason I am a good ruler. I need you to put your trust in me like I have with you… Tell me what is bothering you.”

Glistening violet eyes looked up, both her hands taking Vel’s as she stepped closer. “You’ll… listen to what I have to say?”

“To each and every word…” Vel’s voice came down softly as she leaned down.

“My… parents were still alive and-”

Vel’s eye twitched, her tail snapping wildly behind her. “Melathia!” Her voice bellowed loudly through the building. “Hold the tower, I have to go kill some humans right fast!”

“Queen Vel waaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiit!” Malori cried helplessly as the demon stomped her way to a window to jump out of. The poor mage was being dragged along the floor, holding onto Vel’s waist while trying to pull her back. “Let me finish! Let me finish!”

Thirty minutes and several pastries later the story was completed. Malori sat quietly in her seat with her hands in her lap, staring down in embarrassment. Velverosa on the other hand was slowly drinking some of her tea to let it process in her mind. “So that trash of a swordsman has shared a bed with you?”

“Is that the only thing you heard!?” Malori slammed her hands on the table and stood up. “Queen Vel!?”

A smile graced the demon’s lips. Setting the cup down, golden eyes met violet. “There’s that fire. I was wondering where it went to. I just don’t like seeing you moping around is all.” Seeing her pet mage sigh out and fall back into her seat, she continued. “So, you’ve been having nightmares about your past and have been unable to sleep?” A meek nod. “And with your best friend unable to get close to you, you’ve just dealt with your insomnia for a few days?” Another nod came paired with Vel struggling to keep her hand from shaking in anger.

‘ _This… this stupid, ignorant girl!_ ’ It took almost everything she had to set her teacup down onto the saucer again after taking a drink to calm her nerves. ‘ _I give her the absolute_ honor _of being at the receiving end of my sexual advances, yet she won’t even come to me when she has a problem!?Just because she wants me to think she’s_ strong _!?_ ’ Narrowing her eyes, she glared hard.

Malori could feel the anger sparking at her, and it didn’t do much for her nerves at the moment. “I’m… I’m sorry, my queen. I should have come to you sooner.”

“You should have!” Vel finally snapped at her. “From now on when you have troubles, you come to _me_ , you understand!? I’m going to help you and protect you from anything that could hurt you, and you don’t have a say in the matter!” Pointing at the girl roughly, she gave the command. “That’s an official order! You are under my wing and I will personally see that you will always be safe by my side! So, hold up your end of this or I’ll get pissed!” The sudden sparkling of happy, tear filled eyes threw the queen off guard. “Wha… why are you looking at me like that?”

Letting out a large sniff, Malori jumped the table so she could pounce onto Vel in a hug. The chair tipped over and the two clattered to the floor almost at once. “I didn’t know you cared so much! I promise I’ll always come to you first, my queen! I’ll always stay right by your side so you can protect me!”

“Hah!?” The words finally clicked in her mind and a hot blush went up her neck and to her ears. “I… I mean of course! It’s the duty of a queen to protect her people! And you’re a member of the demon kingdom! Of course I’ll protect you!” When she only got a nod and another snuggle her body loosened back up and she hugged the girl close. ‘ _Who am I kidding… I’d give my life for this idiot…_ ’

A small beeping sound came between them and Malori locked up. “Oh man, why now?” Her inventory screen was pulled up and a flashing crystal was taken out of it. The word _urgent_ was flashing over the crystal with a royal crest next to it. “Oh crap…”

“What is that?” Vel got to her feet and hoisted Malori up as well by the scruff of her outfit.

“When the king contacted us a month or so ago, he gave us all communication crystals.” Crossing her arms, Vel looked at the small size of the crystal compared to the more technology based ones they used with magic infusion. “Anyway, I have to answer it but I’m in your throne room…”

Vel smirked. “Then how about we have a little skirmish? I’ll only use forty percent of my power since you’re tired.”

“My Queen, I’m more than powerful enough to handle you at one hundred per-ahhhhh!” Flying across the room, she crashed into the stone wall and fell down under rubble, dust, and arcane flames that burnt the area around her. The crystal was activated in the process and a small screen appeared next to her showing the king’s face. “That’s was a low blow!”

“Come now, mage!” Vel smiled in amusement, making sure to hold back her power more based on how sluggish Malori was avoiding and blocking the flames. “Show me that determination!”

Trying not to smirk, Malori began to buff herself up. “Oh I’ll show you, all right…” Her eyes glanced to the side at her floating monitor. “King Albert, _really_ not a good time, with all due respect!”

Albert sat on his throne with an amazed face, watching the monitor with Malori on it with interest. Around him sat his most trusted advisors and planners, as well as his wife and daughter. Next to her screen were those of the other top five, most of which were in the scenery of school. Cerik was the other odd one, looking as if he were in a grassy field. “This girl… once again made it to the top and is battling on her own…”

The view on his screen flashed bright white as an explosion went off. More yelling came, sounds of castle being blown apart, and screams of spells flying back to back filled the call. Then, after a few moments, the dust settled and Malori was being held up by her throat, a spear pressed to her stomach.

“Yield, mage?” Vel asked smugly.

“Y-yield…” Malori coughed out.

Setting her pet back onto her feet, a smile washed over her face when she could no longer be seen on the screen. “Then as a reward for relieving my boredom, I will not only spare you a death by my spear, but also grant you a fast pass to the floor of the tower.”

“You’re… too generous, my queen.” Malori rolled her eyes. She felt a feather fall spell being cast on her and sure enough a slow fall buff was applied to her. “Wait… wait!” But it was too late to beg. A hand grabbed her, and a pleased giggle came as she was chunked out a window playfully. “Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel!?”

Tumbling through the air, Malori tried to right herself and plant her feet downward. She mostly got herself righted, but a group of trees broke her fall instead. Branched broke, twigs snapped, and soon she fell on the ground just hard enough to be winded. Leaves rained down over her and she gasped out loudly. Although not really hurt much at all, she still played it off as if it had been an epic battle. “My… spleen… I can’t… feel my spleen…”

On Cerik’s monitor, the boy facepalmed hard and shook his head.

Albert spoke calmly to the girl. “Do you need to be retrieved?”

Malori stayed laying on her back and waved her hand. “Nah, I’m good. Trees broke my fall. Just gonna… lay here a bit and enjoy a refreshing red potion.”

The king cleared his throat before addressing the group of magically floating screens before him. “We have decided on a special event to help raise morale in the kingdom. As you are all aware, we have lost almost half of the lower continent to demon rule. The first was because of the barren land and lack of food… Bad leadership was mostly at fault and the area was lost due to diplomacy… The more recent area was a revived ghost town. Former slaves were freed and given land that was under our rule, but not occupied. Even though there was no fighting for it, they are defending the land as their own and have refused Duke Shermont’s political advances.”

Bringing a hand up to rub the bridge of his nose, the king continued. “We are in an age where we aren’t losing by power of war, but rather moral and loyalty. As such, we have decided to fight back in a similar way. We are going to hold a grand celebration here in Folstina, where we will announce that we will be redoubling our efforts to aid everyone in the kingdom and show off the skills of the new generation of warriors. During this time, I want to have a mock battle with the number one student, Malori Crowett!”

Malori spat out what little she had left of her health potion. “Sir!? You’re in no condition to fight anymore!”

“I plan to test your strength on two fronts,” the king continued. “First, to show everyone that you are powerful enough to beat the demon queen, and secondly… To see for myself that you are indeed strong enough to handle the throne that you so desire.”

Violet eyes widened. “W-wait, let’s not jump to conclusions-”

“As such,” the queen interrupted and the monitors shifted focus to her and Leora. “My husband has agreed that if Malori shows enough promise, he will officially acknowledge Malori as Leora’s fiancé.

Malori’s face drained of all color. “Oh hell…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your continued support! This chapter was a bit longer than usual because of all the amazing comments! Each and every time I see an email notification with a comment I instantly get so happy! I wanted to give back a little so I made sure to keep going a bit longer in this one :D 
> 
> No smut in this chapter, but you won't have to wait long~ I want it to be natural and not forced ^^ Maybe I'll do a one-shot sex scene at one point.
> 
> Also omg last official webtoon comic was so good! Can't wait for moooore~ It is a good reminder of how much I need to work to improve :D I hope I don't disappoint! I'm going to try my best to get better so everyone can enjoy this at least half as much as I love the original! Love your faces!
> 
> Oh, that character Soarauss? I named him because he was a pain in the ass....soar ass.... GET IT!? ... I'm so sorry.


	5. Love

My wrists were bound in poorly made wooden brackets, and each bump of the carriage I was in, rubbed my already raw skin even more. I was starving, thirsty, and haven’t been clean in several days now. Beside me were a few demons and humans, each bound like I was. We were to be sold soon and the people who owned us were discussing the prices we could fetch. I was marked at seven hundred gold, not even double of what I brought as a kid. Leaning forward, I bit back tears at how worthless I had become. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to do anything right. Now I was back here once again; about to be sold off to the highest bidder as a personal slave.

**Seeking V**

**By: Satashi**

Malori awoke with a jolt. Her eyes were dilated, sweat covering her skin. Several puffs of cool air went through her system as she tried to shake the nightmare still clinging to her senses. The girl carefully sat up in bed so she could caress her face with her palms. Tears were wiped away slowly as she fought to reclaim her breath. ‘ _Again…_ ’ The thought went through her mind weakly while the images started to fade from her memory.

Deciding to just get out of bed, she walked across the large room to her closet. The demon tower living space was very luxurious compared to her tiny apartment. Her single room had a bed, a small library that the pookas kept circulating books for, everything she needed to live on, furniture, and even equipment.

Her clothing at home was simple, consisting of mage-type dresses with her preferred sleeveless cloaks that go over them. In the tower, either Conoleth or Melathia personally made her clothing. This generally consisted of either extremely sexy fantasy outfits for fanfiction fuel, or amazingly comfortable and useful mage-like clothing for battle. Since she was going to be walking around the tower, she went for the latter.

A gray one-piece dress that was daringly short, golden lines along it for accents and to draw attention to her lines and bust, finished off with matching boots and gloves. Her eyes looked over the small row of masks she has as well. Each one was basically the same, only colored a little differently to match her clothing better. Although she didn’t prefer to wear it, it did have a night vision enchantment on it, so she placed it over her eyes to complete her demon general look.

Malori’s eye caught the mirror next to her and she stopped to observe herself. Her horns were slightly longer than before, thankfully growing upwards more than anything. She didn’t feel like they would bother her in day by day life but at the same time they were getting harder and harder to hide from view. Inspecting them closer, she moved her hair out of the way to try and get a grasp on how they were. Two on each side of her head, the front one almost an inch and a half long and the one behind it about half that size.

With a sigh she moved from her room to walk idly through the hallways. ‘ _It wasn’t but just a few months ago that I had to fight my way through here…_ ’ She waved to some of the patrolling demons walking by and even stopped to help a few lesser demons set up some traps for the next day. ‘ _Now I feel at home here…_ ’ Fingertips slid along the cool brick as her moonlight stroll took her down several floors. The tower was mostly dormant at this time and had an almost peaceful feel to it. ‘ _Come to think of it, this is pretty much the equivalent of the castle when I’m visiting the king or Leora._ ’ A little grin started to make its way over her face. ‘ _I have two kingdoms that want me… I guess I really did make something out of my life._ ’

The thought began to push her nightmare down and instead replaced it with a feeling of satisfaction. A smile even came across her lips for a moment until she rounded a corner and bumped into a group of four humans somewhere on the middle floors of the castle. “What the... Hey! The tower is closed right now! Didn’t you read the signs!?”

A female swordsman reacted first, drawing her sword and darting forward. “Quick, shut her up before she alerts anyone!”

‘ _And I was getting in a better mood too!_ ’ Malori twirled out of the way of the sword and instantly went into her usual pre-battle buff list. From the looks of it, these people were about half her level, if not lower. Normally they wouldn’t make it to this floor but sneaking in at night to raid unguarded treasure chests had gotten them to this point. “Hmmm...” Another dodge came, followed by a third. “You guys suck,” she decided.

“Quiet, demon!” The leader held her sword high. “We’ll purge this tower-” Her body blew into smoke as a fireball blasted her into a wall, a coffin falling down in its place.

“Really?” Malori asked, surprised. “Not even defensive buffs? Seriously?” Turning to the other three, she put her hands on her hips. “What grades are you in!?”

“Sh-shut up!” A monk ran towards her, only to stop at the tip of a water rapier pulled from the ground. “What the!?”

“Release wave!” Malori allowed the water to blast over them before jumping back and flinging two lightning swords into the ground, tacking the monk’s flowing robes to the floor and blowing them into a coffin as well. “That’s two!” She sang cheerfully. “Tell you what, if you give up now, I’ll just let you leave, what do you say?”

The remaining two adventurers took a step back and looked at each other nervously. The healer swallowed thickly and spoke with a scared voice. “She’s as strong as the demon queen...”

Malori beamed at them. “So glad you noticed! Yes! I am Demon General M! Right hand of Queen Vel and my place is by her side, under her wing! I can even go toe-to-toe with her in battle!”

The mage took a step back. “Oh man... oh man! This demon is too powerful!”

Hands on her hips, Malori just nodded in agreement. “Yup! That’s me! Praise me more!”

“She’s a demon! A total beast! Monster!”

“Er, wait a moment...”

The healer started to cry. “I’ve never thought someone so scary existed! I don’t want to be an adventurer anymore!”

Malori hunched over. “Now see here you little twerp!”

“I bet she eats babies! And drinks the tears of children!”

“ _I do not!!_ ”

“And destroys cities by covering them with her shadow of terror! She’s so thicc it will probably-”

A loud explosion shook the castle as a hole was blasted out of the side of it. Although the upper floors were fortified, the middle ones lacked such Vel proofing. As such, several pooka were running around with materials to fix it even as the four coffins sailed off into the sky, one of which was on fire.

Malori was left in a huff, growling and ranting about how dumb adventurers were. It wasn’t until she heard the cheerful and happy meeping of the lesser demons that she realized what exactly she had done. “Oh man... Oopsies...”

A pooka hugged Malori’s leg and spoke up to her cheerfully. “Don’t worry, Malori! We’ll have it fixed up in no time! Thank you for getting rid of them for us.” With that said the little demon hopped off to help with the repairs.

“Yeah...” Malori spoke aloud, suddenly feeling better. “Yeah, you know what? I kicked their butts! I defended the tower!” Several cheers came to her and she felt rather proud of herself. “I’m pretty good at this!” With her ego inflated by plus two, she made her way back up the tower with a larger smile on her face. 

Although it was still in the early hours of the morning, she felt invigorated. A small spring was in her step and she couldn’t shake the sensation of wanting to show off a little bit. Her feet took her to Vel’s bedroom doors but she hesitated before knocking. Even though she was awake, it didn’t mean anyone else was, and the queen was probably used to things like this as well.

Turning, Malori started to pace the area before the chambers. ‘ _If I disturb her sleep, she will be mad at me for sure. At the same time, she told me to come to her if I ever needed to. I did want to go to her when I woke up, but that was then and this is now... Just telling her that I beat up some people who came into the tower would probably have me tossed right back out through the doors as well..._ ’ 

Vel’s voice came from inside the room. “Either come in or go away!”

Malori peeked in unsurely. “How did you know I was out here?”

The queen was sitting up on her bed, her robe half-open to reveal her cleavage and most of her chest. Although her face looked annoyed, she still had a curious air about her. “I heard you blow things up and then felt you pacing around outside, of course I could tell you were there.”

“Oh... sorry.” Malori walked in and gently closed the door behind herself. 

“...You’re dressed.”

A hand went to remove the mask she wore and the smile came back full force as she stood next to the bed. “My queen, I came across a group of adventurers while walking the tower. I sent them home.”

“Very loudly.”

“And quickly.” Malori beamed at her.

“...Do you want praise for doing your job?” Vel huffed at her.

“Yes.” Malori leaned forward, one knee on the bed so she could crawl a little onto it. “Would a kiss be alright?”

“...Malori, it’s still dark outside, it’s a bit early for... this...” When the mage only moved the rest of her body onto the bed as well, Vel slowed down her words. “...Malori?”

“...Yes, my queen?” Her feet were moving to kick off her boots so she could crawl the rest of the way up and straddle the larger woman.

Vel looked down at the girl who seemed to be excessively pleased with herself. Violet eyes were upturned to her, cheeks red, and an alluringly cute but sensual smile was on her face. It was then that the comforting scent of chestnut came to her nose. ‘ _That smile... and the sweet scent of her hair... It should be illegal to be this desirable... Wait!_ ’ Sniffing again, Vel’s face turned a dark red. ‘ _Pheromones!?_ ’ 

Malori looped both arm around Vel’s neck, a pleased giggle coming from her. “Are you... sniffing my hair?” The words were flirty and playful, the mage still riding an after-battle high.

“Uhm... Malori, you see, something demons go through in puberty is an increased-”

“I’m not going through puberty.” The words were a little forceful but not enough to warrant a scolding. “I just want a little reward for protecting my queen is all.”

‘ _She’s being so bold..._ ’ Vel felt her body heating up as Malori leaned in a little closer on her. Their bodies pressed together, eyes locking in a gaze. ‘ _Christ, she smells so good. ... No! Get a grip Vel, she’s practically in heat! You can’t give in to a horny teenager, you’re stronger than this! You’re the_ demon queen! _Entire armies quake in fear at the mention of your name!_ ’ Malori pecked Vel’s chin playfully and batted her eyelashes. ‘ _Oh, I’m going to gobble this cutie right up!_ ’ 

Malori gave a pleased squeal when she was rolled over and pinned to the bed. “So bold!”

A snarl came with the answer. “Quiet, Pet. You asked for this.” Wrists were pushed onto the sheets, a leg slipping between the mage’s so she could part them with a single sliding motion. Malori groaned out from the actions and moved her body in an almost bucking motion in appreciation. ‘ _Wait... I can’t give in to this! This is exactly what she wants!_ ’

Malori tilted her head a little, squirming under the larger demon while smiling. “Aren’t you going to reward me, Vel?”

“Hmph. You think I’m that easy?” Vel smirked and closed her eyes. ‘ _That’s it, reel it in! She’s just horny right now, she’ll be back to her usual self in the morning once she’s had a moment to cool off._ ’

“Don’t you... want to eat me?” Malori purred up at her, wriggling on the sheets. The words made golden eyes snap open, much to the girl’s delight. “Just one little taste won’t hurt right? I’m at your mercy, after all.”

“Yeah... You’re at my will.”

“Under you, where I should be.”

“You are!” Vel pushed on her more. “Right under me, on my bed!” Her breathing picked up, eyes dilating a little at the sight of the vulnerable body under her. “I could do anything to you and you couldn’t stop me!”

“Mmn! I couldn’t!” Malori added a soft whine to her voice, turning her head and looking through her lashes at her queen. “I’ve back talked you so much, too.”

“And here you are!”

“Mmmn...” Malori was grinning now, still moving under her to squirm against the dragoness’s body. “Ahhh, you’re so strong!”

“That’s right!” Vel almost shouted. “And I’m going to show you who’s boss around here!” The weight on Malori’s wrist came back, her body leaning down and mouth opening to bite the girl’s shoulder. ‘ _You’re my pet, and you’ll know your place!_ ’ Her mind basked in the thoughts and taste of the prey under her. ‘ _You’re mine, Malori! And you’ll only be under me!_ ’

“My Queen!” Malori gasped out hard, her legs moving to press up against the ones parting hers as she enjoyed the erotically painful shock of being bitten. “Ahhh!”

Saliva connected the wound to her mouth as Vel pulled back, hot breath coming past her lips as she looked at her mark. A moan under her made her heart throb in time with it and she went back down, leaving kisses and nipping the skin that was exposed. “You’re wearing too much.” Vel’s voice was starting to get husky, her claws trailing up soft arms until she reached the shoulders of her pet. “Get Conoleth to fix it later; I don’t want to wait.” With those words, she ripped the straps of the dress so she could tug it down.

“Vel...” 

“Mistress,” The one on top corrected her harshly. “Right now, I’m your lover.” Another bite came, this one on the side of tender flesh of Malori’s left breast. Claws moved over skin, a warm tongue soothed the mark, and Vel snapped the side of the panties that were getting in her way. “My Malori.”

“Yours...” The girl panted out, head throwing back as a warm, sticky trail of saliva went down her stomach. She could feel her muscles spasming, going taut to show the lightly defined abs she had, before turning back to jelly at her queen’s touch. “I’m all yours.”

Wasting no time, large hands gripped the girl’s legs, holding them apart so she could claim her prize. Malori was already wet, much more so than the first time they had done this. The heat and the taste graced Vel’s tongue shortly, the long muscle pushing past the entrance to feel more of the tunnel without the need for foreplay.

“Nngh!?” Malori’s hands went down at once, slipping into Vel’s hair and thumbs moving around the two demonic horns on her head. The woman tensed for a moment, but settled back into it, pushing her mouth up closer to try and explore more of the honey trail before her. “Mistress.... Oh hells...”

Vel kept her pace, right hand moving to tease the little nub by her nose with a finger while her left reached to completely fondle the girl’s breast. “Mmmn!” The feeling was so soft, unlike the more muscular feel of the demons she’d been with before. ‘ _She’s amazing... her whole body is amazing._ ’ The light pink nipple was tweaked and a small gasp was her reward for it. ‘ _I can’t get enough of this..._ ’

“I’m... I’m going to...”

Vel slid back, a smirk on her face as she watched the shaking girl before her be denied her orgasm. “No, you’re not.” she countered. “You aren’t going to cum until you properly beg me for it.”

“B...But...” Violet eyes widened in both shock from the words as well as the sight of Velverosa shedding her robe. She wore low hip black panties that were currently being slid down with one hand. “Mis...tress....?”

“Malori,” Vel crawled over the girl once more, taking one of her legs and lifting it so they could slide together. Malori crossed the limb over Vel’s side and soon felt both the weight and warmth of her lover on top of her. With one leg straight before her and one up and bent, Vel posed herself just above so her crotch was almost being touched. A finger lifted her chin so their eyes met. “Who do you belong to?”

“You, my love.”

“And you’ll never leave me, will you?”

“Never.”

“Swear it!”

Malori’s face softened, memories of the betrayal Vel had gone through coming back into her mind. “I swear on my life, Vel. I’ll be your lover until our time together ends. I’m yours. I belong to you and no one else. I give myself freely and wholly to you, my queen.”

Before any tears could be seen in her eyes, Vel moved forward so she was whispering against Malori’s ear. “I accept you, and swear on my dragon’s pride... That I shall remain loyal to my lover.” With those words, arms went behind Malori and she embraced her fully. The girl was pulled close, mouth claimed in a hard kiss. At the same time their lower bodies connected, slipping over each other in a wet, passionate grind.

“Mn-Mmmn!” Malori’s eyes widened, her arms wrapping around the strong body above her. Fingertips pressed tightly against the sweat covered skin of Vel’s back to hold her close. The tongue that had brought her so much pleasure just before, pressed against her lips in request for entrance. Fingers slid through her hair on the back of her neck and cradled her head, tilting it back just enough for her mouth to open naturally to allow the slightly sticky tongue to embrace hers. 

Velverosa felt lost in the moment, almost swimming in the mixed scent of both herself and the girl that had driven her crazy over the past few months. The sounds of their kissing were loud and wet, matching with the frantic, if not inexperienced, sliding of their sex together. Each breath felt like it was too long away from her lips, every shift in movement not touching was almost agonizingly too slow for her liking.

‘ _More,_ ’ the word went through Vel’s mind as the moans of her lover graced her ears. Malori’s body was rocking, her soft breast swaying with each thrust of her hips. By now her pet had started to figure out how to reciprocate, and her smaller body was making an up and down gyrating motion in turn with each buck made. ‘ _I can’t get enough of her._ ’ 

Malori’s hand slid down Vel’s back, the sheen of sweat on it making it slippery to the touch. Reaching lower, her slender fingers sought out something she wanted for quite a while now and met the woman’s tail, actually touching it for the first time. The scales were caressed and a hot growl of pleasure was her reward for it. Her rhythm was lost from the action, but Vel picked it back up for her with increased vigor. 

“Let’s see how you like it,” the words came paired with an erotically humid breath against Malori’s ear. The hand embracing the girl’s back slipped down, fingers sliding down the curves of the human. Then, just at the base of the spine, she felt hard crystalline scales. Although still flush with the skin, it was still the makings of a tail.

The mage in her arms cried out at once, quivering in delight at the experience. “T-too... sen...sensitive!”

Vel only began to move a little more frantically on the girl, their toned abs slapping together as they slid their love against each other in a wet mess of passion. “I know that,” Vel revealed huskily, palming the girl’s rear before going back to up the scales. 

“I’m... gonna...”

The words registered in Vel’s mind but the way Malori was suddenly bucking up against her was starting to have the desired effects on her as well. “You may,” she said instead. Gripping her lover close, she held the pace of the dance for them both. “Cum for me, my pet.” Despite trying to sound strong and in charge, the words started to break when Malori found just the right way to move.

“Miss... Misstr... Vel!” The cry of pleasure was loud, drawn over the edge by insistent, powerful motions. At the same time, she felt her partner give a repressed gasp of release that would have turned into a yell had she not bitten once more. Malori’s mouth opened into a full scream as the fangs sank down into her skin. Hard sucking came mixed with pressing of the tongue, bruising the sensitive area of her neck. Without thinking, she could only do one thing in return:

The mage’s open mouth turned and she bit back. 

Vel’s body froze for a half-second when she felt the teeth on her skin. Suction came next, followed by muffled cries of pleasure still rippling through the girl’s body. Their body blitz had been shared, felt through their necks with vibrations of ecstasy. Slowly, the moment began to fade, each one reluctantly releasing their hold on the other. Saliva trickled over skin while leaving trails to lips.

Each one began to pant, simply looking at each other with eyes that barely had any ring of color around them left. Even though it was hard to form words in the moment, Malori had the phrase she had said several times already burning her tongue. “Queen Vel...” The sheer softness of her tone made the woman above her stiffen. “... I love you.”

Vel’s body slowly started to go slack, her eyes looking down. Then, ever so slightly, her shoulders began to shake. The demon queen, ruler of the most feared empire, hunched over the teenage girl laying under her and cradled her close to her heart. A small sniff came followed by a hard swallowing of emotions so she could get the words out as well. “And I...” Taking another moment, she nuzzled against the girl fondly. “Love you too, my Malori.”

~**~

Early morning meetings in the tower took place on Fridays to prepare for the upcoming weekend events. With the addition of two new towns under their rule, the mana drain on people looking for glory was subtly increased. The new energy was being redirected to helping crops grow and the manufacturing of items used to aid in the development of settlement.

At least, the meeting would be taking place if the queen were there to lead it. Instead, the generals and a few paper pushers were sitting at a long table quietly looking at each other. Minutes passed by before Berkz finally spoke up. “If she is ten minutes late, we get the day off, right?” A murmuring of agreement instantly followed paired with several nodding of heads.

At that moment, the door opened and the disappointed sounds couldn’t be held back. Velverosa gave a confused, sleepy look at them but dismissed it almost at once. “I had to get Malori ready for the meeting.” It was the closest she would give to a reason of being late. As she walked to the front of the room, the generals all noticed the inflamed red ring of teeth marks on her neck as well as the blush along her cheek and ears.

“Sorry I’m late,” Malori quietly greeted everyone as she walked in. She was clad in a black, sleeveless, magicians dress that went to her thighs. A purple zipper went up one side of it, cut under her breasts, and went up to the other side of her neck, where it didn’t do anything to hide the large bite wound she had as well. Over the dress she wore a purple hooded cloak with black feathers along the trim. Her hair was combed a little differently, showing off the horns on her head that seemed to have grown just a little overnight.

As Malori walked to the front of the room, she couldn’t help but hear the repressed squeals of joy from all her friends. A few had tears in their eyes and she could tell they were resisting the urge to hug her. Vel sighed at the view and braced herself. “I have an announcement to make.”

Everyone jumped at once, congratulating them both and ruffling Malori’s hair while complimenting her on the royal clothing. Although annoyed, Velverosa couldn’t bring herself to yell at them once she saw the embarrassed and shy smile on her lover’s face. When those eyes met hers, she instantly went soft and smiled back down to her. “Oh screw it... Okay, okay...” A deep breath was inhaled to steady herself. “I’ve taken Malori as my mate. You have ten seconds to get it out of your system.”

Eyes closed, Vel tried her best to count slowly in her head as she was pushed and pulled in every direction for congratulations and hugs. Despite her best efforts, she could tell her frown looked absolutely forced at the best and embarrassed at worst. Then, after maybe counting to twenty, she opened her eyes and roared out. “Okay, enough! Sit down and shut up!” Her group did as commanded and she smirked. “Good! Now! On to business!”

Slamming her hand on a podium, she started to go about her plans. “The Castle City in Folstina has planned to hold an event in order to bring his nation together. It is his goal to display everyone’s power in order to bolster support and rally troops for the war. To this end, he has preemptively evaluated the top heroes in the academy and my spies have reported that he has staged battles that play to their strengths.”

Malori crossed her arms. “The king will battle me personally. If I can best him, then no human should have reason to fear a demon.”

Velverosa frowned. “Exactly. If a student can top the legendary hero who beat a previous demon lord, and is known for fighting the current on her own... Then all it will take is Malori, the rest of the top five, and an army to start a real war.”

Fhaust raised a clawed hand. “Why has he waited so long for this then? Why not just do it when he commanded Lady Malori to assassinate you?”

Malori blinked. “Wait, Lady?”

Vel ignored the question from her mate. “Malori has informed me that the group refuses to work together. This is probably a ploy to settle that as well. Even without a summoned hero, if they lead the people, then this could go from a cold war to a blood bath very quickly. I didn’t work this hard to throw away my dream of building a demon empire that could live in peace.”

Malori looked up to meet Vel’s eye. “So, what do we do?”

“We sabotage it. We infiltrate the festivities, replace the soldiers that are planning to lose on purpose, and beat down the heroes one by one. Then, Malori, when everything is resting on your shoulders, you throw the match with the king.”

Bringing a thumb to her lips, Malori talked around it softly in thought. “That would definitely help cancel my wedding with Leora as well...”

A sudden snapping made everyone look up to the podium, which was now in two pieces. “I’m sorry,” Vel growled down at her. “Did I just hear you say... wedding?”

“Uh...” Laughing nervously, Malori scratched the back of her head. “You see, the king told me if I beat him, he would officially announce my engagement to his daughter! But-but-but we don’t have to worry because I’m going to lose!”

Vel was almost glowing with a dark red and black aura. “Oh, you’ll lose... you’ll lose big time...”

“M-mistress, I promise, I had nothing to do with this!”

Conoleth leaned over to Melathia so she could whisper to her. “See? Told you Malori would be into it.”

The lamia growled to herself. ‘ _Velverosa! I told you humans were soft! You can’t go dominating them like demons, they’ll get hurt!_ ’ Her mind pictured a chibi Malori tied up to a bed with a laughing Vel over her in latex and a whip. ‘ _Actually... that might make for a good story..._ ’ 

“Anyway!” Vel tossed the top half of the broken podium carelessly to the side. “The event starts with a dance tonight. Today I want us all to focus on preparing and going over our plan to infiltrate. Malori, you have something else you need to do in the meantime.”

“What’s that, my queen?”

Vel reached over to caress the horns that were being shown off with the new hairstyle, enjoying the sudden look of shock it put on the mage’s face. “I want you to learn how to cast the illusion spell to hide your horns. After that, go to your apartment in that town of yours and finish packing your things before you have to get ready for the gathering tonight. I don’t want you sleeping there anymore.”

Malori felt her heart skip a beat and the instant teasing of generals around her didn’t help the matters any. “R-right away my queen!”

~**~

Looking at herself one more time, Malori took a deep breath. She wore a flowing white gown with silver accents and golden accessories. Although not to her usual taste, Leora had the dress sent right to her door for the occasion. Now in front of the castle, she felt very out of place and unsteady on the heels she had been forced to wear. People walked all around her, chatting and laughing as if it were no big deal to be wearing so much money on their bodies.

“You look out of place,” Cerik’s voice came up and soon the boy was before her. His body was covered in a white and blue outfit that almost resembled royalty. His usual unkempt hair was combed and he even wore white gloves over his hands. “I think today was the last day.”

Malori reached out for him, taking a few hesitant steps forward until they were sure the spell placed on them had faded. The final few inches were jumped and she wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. “Don’t let this go to your head, but I missed your dumb ass.”

“Missed you to, you annoying little shit.” The two smiled at each other fondly. “Think they’ll notice if we just skip out?”

“I have a feeling they will.” Her eyes glanced around. “Cerik, I have a big favor I need to ask of you.”

A frown and hushed whispers followed. “Last time you said that, it involved a lot of politics.” The look he got made him instantly try to just walk away. “Nope, I’m out.”

“Cerik!” Malori grabbed his arm and stumbled along with him. “Come on, its for the greater good.”

“For the love of… what now?” He listened to her soft whispers while they walked arm in arm towards the castle entrance. Once there, he growled and looked away. “I don’t like it… But I hate being used more than anything… Fine. I’ll take a fall. But you owe me.”

“Cerik… Thank you.”

“Oi, don’t go getting all puppy dog eyes on me!” He smirked at her. “Save that for trying to bed that love of yours.”

“Oh…speaking of…” A wide grin graced her face. “Guess who owes me fifty gold pieces?”

“…No way!”

“Way!”

Cerik’s face was a mix between disgust, amusement, and pride. “I never thought you’d get _royalty_ in the bed with you!”

“If all goes well, maybe tonight-” her words cut off when Leora came from seemingly nowhere and stood before her.

“My, aren’t we bold?” Her smile was dazzling. “If you’re that impatient, why don’t we pass on the party and just head up to my room now?”

Cerik instantly doubled his pace. “Whoops, I see my father, gotta go, bye!”

“Cerik you-!” Now left alone, Malori tried to smile as best she could. “Hello Princess! You look lovely tonight!”

“As do you, my fiancée.” After the pleasantries faded, the sparkle of her blue eyes drifted. “Malori, may I have a moment? I’d like to speak with you privately.”

“Uhm, sure…” Following the princess, the two headed off to a secluded hallway. “What is on your mind, Princess?”

“Malori…” The name was spoken in a tone that had never been used with the girl before. “I’ve been working really hard lately… Going over your skillset, managing your folder, reviewing everything about you to report to my father for this event… It was supposed to be a grand ordeal… Lots of praise… Our wedding announcement…”

A sudden sick feeling began to creep up Malori’s throat. “What… are you getting at?”

“I was curious about the new demon general that has been causing such an uproar lately.” Leora turned to face her friend and held out two pieces of paper. “So, when a group of adventurers said they fought her firsthand, I jumped at the chance to see what all she could do. Tell me what you see.”

Malori slowly reached to take the papers, looking down reluctantly. Her left hand held a report on the demon general ‘M’ while the right was a review on the adventurer Malori. The specs and spell list were almost identical, minus the areas marked _more information needed_. “Looks like this new general is really lame! Copying my hard work!”

“Malori.” Leora snatched the papers and glared hard at her. “I withheld this from my father. I lied to the _king_ for you. I want the truth. You owe me that much!”

“I… Leora…”

“Swear it to me.” Leora took another step forward, a tear rolling down her cheek. Her voice broke in pitch, words coming out in a half shout, half sob. “Swear your allegiance to me, Malori!”

“…Princess…” Violet eyes looked to the side sadly. “There… is more to this than you know.”

“…No. No, this isn’t real.” Leora shook her head, one hand moving to wipe the tears starting to spill from her eyes. “This can’t be real…” Her breath began to catch as the emotions started to overwhelm her frame. “I… Malori!?”

“Let me explain!”

“You betrayed me!

“No, I didn’t! I wouldn’t! I’m fighting for peace!”

Leora was breathing hard, cheeks a furious red from the crying and tears refusing to stop flowing. “Then… One last chance.” Standing as firmly as she could, she held out her hand. “Malori Crowett…” It was clear she was swallowing down a lump in her throat. “As your princess… I hereby order you… to kneel before me…” Again, she had to stop and catch her breath from the tears trying to overtake her. “Kiss my hand and… swear yourself to me.”

The hand before her was shaking. Leora was barely keeping herself together, eyes still watering and sniffling weakly. Even terrified and hurt, she stood her ground. “Please,” the princess spoke gently. “Please choose me, Malori… I love you…”

It felt like her heart had been clenched in a fist. It hurt to breathe but she knew what she needed to do… what she had to do. Ever so slowly, she reached for the hand before her and took a step forward…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the influx of kind comments! <3 I worked really hard to get this chapter to you quickly, so I hope you enjoyed it! Spicy love scene GET! Woohoo! Mal sure knows how to push those buttons <3 But now Leora is pushing buttons of her own! What will happen to our heroine!? Stay tuned!


	6. Allegiance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Over seven thousand words in just three days! I hope you all enjoy this! <3

I’ve overcome some truly complicated things over the short course of my life. I’ve escaped slavery, been adopted, lost my new family, became an adventurer, overcome my fear of death, battled against the demon queen, and even became her mate. Right now, I was faced with another challenge that was enough to make me hesitate my actions and second guess everything that I was about to do. Even so, I had to do it. Taking Leora’s hand, I knelt down before her and kissed her ring finger. “I pledge my loyalty to you, Princess Leora of Folstina.”

**Seeking VI**

**By: Satashi**

Malori looked up at the watering blue eyes above her. “Princess,” the word was whispered softly. “I’m a double agent, you must keep this information a secret from everyone or my cover will be blown and the demons will destroy my body so I can’t be revived… I work for the mage association; not even the king knows.”

The blonde’s body almost fell over in relief. “Why… why did you make me go through this… do you know how much I cried?”

Standing, the mage gently pulled Leora close and backpedaled to the hallway wall to lean against. Soft words went into her ear, hand stroking her back. “I’m sorry, Princess, I didn’t have a choice in the matter.” Violet eyes looked to the side and caught a glimmer in the shadows. Maurik was watching her intently. Ever so slightly Malori nuzzled against Leora’s cheek and signaled with her finger for him to move. The black haired general darted across the carpet at once, running behind them followed by a few demons and finally a dancer mode Velverosa.

“What’s that sound?” Leora pulled back a little. “People shouldn’t be here-” Before she could turn, Malori grabbed her cheeks and pulled her in for a kiss.

Malori could see Vel stop running in the corner of her eye. A dark aura formed around her and a spear went into her hand. Before it could be thrown, Faust and Conoleth both grabbed her arms and hauled her away. A mute spell went off just in time to stop a dozen swear words directed at Leora, mixed with just as many death wishes and vows of torture.

“Malori…” Leora looked to the side and licked her lips. “Oh my… Normally you’re so reserved.”

“Uhm, well… Since I don’t have to hide anymore…” Forcing herself to laugh, she looped her arm through the princess’ and started to lead her back to the ballroom. “But let’s go, shall we? We can talk tonight…?”

Holding onto the arm close, she beamed at the girl next to her. “Of course! But before we get back, let me run fix myself up. My makeup is ruined…”

“Sure. I’ll be waiting for our dance, Princess Leora.” Smiling, Malori let the girl trot off. When she was alone once more, she slowly began to walk. Eyes downcast and hand trailing across the stone wall next to her, her mind finally caught up to her actions. ‘ _I feel… disgusting._ ’ A sudden wave of nausea went through her. ‘ _I just…lied straight to her face…I shattered all meaning behind my loyalty…_ ’

Think back to when she was about to leave the tower earlier that day, she recalled Velverosa pulling her aside to have one final talk with her. She was going to have to do anything in her power to make sure the plan was a success, even if it meant something she didn’t like. Despite her lover wanting to be sure she was up to it, Malori had answered so easily in the moment. _I have this, no problem! I can talk my way through anything!_

Malori swallowed again. ‘ _I’m sorry, Leora. You didn’t deserve that…_ ’ Once again it dawned on her what exactly she was doing: High treason. Espionage. Trying to overthrow a kingdom… Lying to friends. Breaking the heart of a girl who just wants to be loved.

Reaching the ballroom, Malori looked around nervously. Big events weren’t really her style and this one was no exception. Several tables were laid out with all sorts of food and drinks, a small orchestra was playing music near the end of the room, and countless people were dancing. Several more important looking people were talking around the edges of the large room while small groups littered the area in packs.

It wasn’t too long before she felt hands going around her waist and the scent of rose petals invading her nose. Leora hugged her from behind and pulled the girl close. “Hey there… Sorry about that…”

Malori forced herself not to stiffen at the touch and the words. Being embraced was something that she wasn’t quite used to, especially from the princess. “Uhm… I didn’t exactly make it easy on you. I just…” Biting her tongue, she tried her best to ignore the cuddling. “P-princess… We’re at an especially important ball…”

“I can’t help it,” she whispered gently. “Malori… I’ve been worried for a while about what my future would hold.”

“What do you mean?” Once she realized she wasn’t about to be let go, Malori sighed out and just leaned back onto the one embracing her. ‘ _This hurts…_ ’

“Most heroes are guys who are very manly… not that I mind, but… some prefer really girly women.” Leora’s hand moved to interlace their fingers. “So when I realized you were one of the kind hearted people who love unconditionally… I fell in love with you instantly.”

Malori had to force down a hard lump in her throat. “Leora… I…”

The hug got tighter. “When I thought that you might have betrayed me, I… I thought I was going to die.” A small sniff came but the princess quickly repressed them before tears could overtake her again. “But you’re working so hard behind the scenes… Malori… I want to be engaged to you.” It was the first time the words had actually been said between them. Since the misunderstanding at the first meeting, they had been referred to as an unofficial engaged couple. Now, embracing in a royal event, Leora finally spoke the words herself. “Please marry me.”

Malori closed her eyes, the pain in her heart threatening to spill over in the form of tears. ‘ _I can’t do this to her… I can’t… I can’t…_ ’ A shaking breath was taken and both hands were squeezed desperatly. “Leora… I…”

A new voice boomed over them. “There’s the couple of the hour!” Albert made his presence known with a grand entrance and big smile.

“Dad!” Leora glared at him. “I was just asking her something _very_ important!”

“Good, good! Then it is the perfect time for the important announcement.” His large hands began to push the two ladies up towards the front of the ballroom.

Malori felt like she wanted to break down. ‘ _It can’t get any worse than this!_ ’

Albert threw out his arms and instantly everything went quiet. The music faded, heads turned, knights stood at attention, and guests smiled. “Welcome everyone! Welcome indeed… Tonight is a very important night for our kingdom. A very important night for us as the human race… and… a very important night for me as a father.”

‘ _Oh hells, it’s getting worse isn’t it!?_ ’ Malori went pale, her eyes quickly darting around the room to try and seek comfort from Cerik. She found him up front, his mouth slightly open. The boy’s eyes met hers and he tried his best to smile for her, which did help a little bit.

“Although I was going to wait until tomorrow for this, seeing how happy my daughter is... I just can’t wait. Everyone, it gives me great joy to announce that our beloved Princess and heir to the throne has something especially important she would like to share with everyone!”

Leora’s eyes lit up and she instantly pulled Malori to the front of the room so she could hug her father tightly. “Thank you, Daddy!”

“Anything for my little girl,” he whispered back. “And Malori... I have total faith in you, Daughter-in-law.” His smile was honest, eyes shining with pride. “Make her happy.”

“Y...Yeah...” Malori’s voice was threatening to leave her, replaced by a dizzying feeling of sickness that was making her vision swim. ‘ _It’s getting so much worse!_ ’

“Ahem!” Leora cleared her throat. “Everyone! I’m proud to announce... That Malori and I are going to be getting married!” No sooner than the words were spoken did the entire room erupt in applause and celebratory music start to play. The two looked at each other, one on cloud nine while the other struggling to keep her smile. Before anymore words could be said, the princess leapt forward in a hug and kissed her fiancée fully on the lips. 

Malori could swear she felt a sharp pang of agony in her neck from the action.

Soon the fanfare started to die off and the couple walked back down the steps towards the main floor the be congratulated by multiple people, all of which the mage couldn’t place. After what felt like an eternity, she finally saw Cerik and his father approach them and she couldn’t stop herself from going over to her best friend. “Cerik. Dance. Now.”

The male gave her a lopsided grin. “You got it.” His eyes glanced over to Leora for a moment. “Sorry, Princess, but I’m borrowing her for just a moment.”

“Of course, of course!”

The pair quickly made it to the dance floor and embraced to the tune of a gentle slow dance. “Cerik, I can’t do this...” Malori tucked her head against his shoulder and wrapper her arms around his neck.

The swordsman leaned his cheek onto her hair so he could whisper to her as they gently rocked to the music. “This has a double meaning, doesn’t it?” A barely noticeable nod came against him. “Then you have to do it. You chose this path, Malori. You knew it would be hard.”

“But... I’m ripping her heart right out of her chest...” Her slender arms held him tighter. “I just want peace... I want everyone to live without fear of starvation and pain... I didn’t want this to be personal.”

“Malori...” Cerik sighed and closed his eyes. His arms pulled her a little closer in a gentle hug to offer what little comfort he could. “I know how you feel. I’ve been avoiding my responsibility for years now and I still don’t even want to face it... but you took action. You chose to make a difference, to lead the world to a better place. Mal, we need people like you. You got this.”

Violet eyes closed and the girl leaned onto him fully. “...Will you support me?”

Cerik stayed quiet for a long moment before finally whispering back into her ear. “Yeah. Yeah, Mal, I’ll support you. Just please keep me in the shadows.” The embrace on him got tighter and he couldn’t help but smile a little bit. “Hey, don’t get all sappy on me, we still need to work on your situation. Fill me in.”

The two stayed together as the dance lead into another song, much to Leora’s disappointment. Soft words were whispered between them as they drifted to the music. Their eyes kept a lookout for anyone who got too close, bodies being sure to keep moving and turning to the song so no one could read their lips. Once the second song was over Cerik gave her a small nod and kissed her temple before returning her to Leora.

“Too close,” the princess complained at once. Her arms latched onto Malori’s and she glared up at the man.

“Sorry, sorry.” Cerik laughed it off. “Trust me, you don’t have to worry.”

“Yeah, snake boy here is smitten by another.”

Leora blinked. “Why do you call him snake boy?”

Malori almost choked on her words. “Uhm... Be...cause... when we were younger... he always played... with his snake?”

Cerik’s face instantly turned red. “Hey! Specify I had a pet snake!” When Malori only slyly covered her mouth with a hand, even his ears turned red. “If we’re going to share stories of our childhood, maybe I should tell Leora how you wet the bed till you were _twelve_!”

Malori instantly shoved her hands over the boy’s mouth. “Another word and I’ll start calling you snake _-less_ boy, are we clear?” She got an extremely nervous nod. “Good. Now, at any rate, how about you introduce me to some more people, Princess?”

Leora looked happy to hear that. “Certainly! Cerik, will you be joining?”

“Me? Nah. I’m just going to grab some food and look around a bit. Save a dance for me, Princess?”

“Maybe.” Leora winked at him and pulled Malori away.

Once alone, Cerik slipped past his father and made his way over to the buffet table to grab a drink. His feet lead him over to a figure casually leaning against a wall and he joined them. “Sure is a nice day to take a walk, isn’t it?” The key phrase that Malori had told him made the person by him instantly go stiff. A disgusted sound came and the figure pulled back their hood to reveal platinum blonde hair covering lightly tanned skin.

“But I prefer to stay inside,” they replied angrily.

“That voice...” Cerik almost did a double take. The cloaked figure moved their clothing to reveal fancy dress clothes that were masculine looking but feminine cut “Holy... Fenn?”

“Shut up,” Fenn growled at him. “Call me Fionna.” 

“F-Fionna...” Cerik tried to calm himself down. “You look...human”

“Transformation spell. Ugh, why you of all people?”

Cerik huffed at her. “Deal with it. I was asked to deliver a message to Malori’s... interest.” He didn’t want to say the name, lest someone pick it out from the chatter.

“And what’s that?”

“She said two things: One is she’s sorry things are playing out like they are… and two: please don’t kill her.”

Fenn chuckled lightly. “The princess or Malori?”

A small, amused grin came over Cerik’s mouth. “Both, probably.” Their eyes met and the two shared a little laugh before suddenly stopping and turning away from each other. “Anyway, ditch the cloak, you’re standing out. Blend in, get a drink, get some food, and dance a little bit. The more people see you, the less you’ll be suspicious.”

“I’m fine. I have a backstory and everything. I’m a monk visiting from afar to see the finest weapon master in the lands to have a staff made especially for me.”

Cerik snorted. “Yeah, that’ll be my father.” At the words, all the blood drained from Fenn’s face. “If you can deal with the second best, just say my name and I’ll vouch for your story. Now then, I’ll be off.” Two steps later he felt a small tug on his shirt. A quick glance back revealed that the wolf girl had pinched his clothing in her hand. “Yes?”

“Why... Are you helping me?

“Because I told Malori that I would support her. Even if you hate me, I’ll do anything for her.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s family.” Cerik smiled at her. “Blood is thicker than water, you know. If she calls, I’ll answer. At the same time, if I reach my hand out, her strength will be there for me to grab.”

“... Even after everything I’ve done to you, you’ll just trust me because she said so?”

Scratching his cheek, he thought about it. “Well... I know you’re not inherently a bad person so to say. Until now we have just been on different teams... Not saying I’m on your side or anything, but...” Sighing, the swordsman looked away. “I want to be a craftsman, not a war monger. I don’t know if Malori can pull this off or not, but... the other option is a lot worse. I’m trusting her, and by extension, I’m trusting you. Don’t let me down, Fionna.”

Fenn instantly stood up straight. “Don’t think so poorly of me! I’ll protect Malori without your help!” Her words got a smile instead of the glare she was expecting.

“Good to hear it.”

Seeing as she said exactly what he wanted to hear, Fenn growled and let him go. Deciding to just ignore him, she took a small vial from her coat and unscrewed the lid. “Go on then, leave.”

“What’s that?” Cerik looked at the bottle quizzically, his curiosity making him stay.

“Wolfthorn.” Fenn took a tiny sip of the white liquid.

“Doesn’t that supposed to make you look like a beastkin?”

“Normally, yes, but when under a transformation spell it will have the opposite effect. We’re using things like this to extend the magic duration into the night.” She let him inspect the vial when he looked intrigued. “Something of a potion brewer?”

“More of an enchanter, but kind of...” Taking a smell of it, he nodded and recapped it.

Cerik’s almost jumped on the spot when his father’s voice came up behind him. “What do you have there, boy?”

“What? This!?” Cerik tucked the vial into his pocket. “A classmate wanted me to look at their potion before they turned it in for their assignment. Anyway! Dad, this is Fionna, she’s a monk on a pilgrimage and wants me to make her a staff.”

“My boy?” Crossing his arms, Cerik’s father looked down at the transformed beastkin before him. “You do look like a capable fighter, ma’am... Why choose my idiot son to craft you a weapon?”

Fenn smirked, not caring to pay the aristocrat any respect. “Your _idiot son_ has seen many battles and knows the dangers of bad weaponry. If I am to trust my life to a craftsman, I want it to be one who knows what it is like to be wielding the item.”

“...You sound like you’ve seen him fight.”

“We’ve sparred a few times.”

“Answer me, who is stronger between you two.”

The wolf girl couldn’t repress the amused smile on her face. “Me. Ten-fold. Easily.”

A scoff made both turn to look at the boy next to them. “Ten? Please. Maybe, _maybe_ two. On a good day. If I’m sick. And don’t have recovery items.”

Fenn took a step forward. “You wanna go?”

Grabbing his son’s collar, the older man started pulling him away. “I don’t have time for this teenage flirting. I need to introduce you to people.”

“Flirting!?” Fenn almost shouted. “Me!? Him!?”

“Fionna!” Cerik caught her eye. “Save me a dance!” His hand patted his pocket over the vial. His enemy growled but nodded at him. “Good girl.” The words instantly made Fenn’s eyes sparkle for all of two seconds before she realized just who had spoken them. Instantly it was replaced by rage and she flipped him off with a furious glare.

~**~

“You’re really going to fight my dad tomorrow?” Leora was leaning against a chest high wall on the outside of one of the castle’s spires. The two had snuck away after a few hours for some privacy and ended up at one of the princess’ favorite hiding spots. The area was high up, had a clear view of the sky above them, and offered peace from everything going on.

“Seems so.” Malori was instead leaning her back to the wall, arms behind her to brace herself. Violet eyes were looking up towards the starry sky, words light as her mind was more focused on how Velverosa must be feeling right now. ‘ _If I had seen her kiss someone else…_ ’

“You’re quiet… are you tired?”

“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry, Princes, I’m… Yeah. I’m tired.” Malori felt her stomach turn from yet another lie. “Tomorrow is going to be a big day. We’re supposed to be on the fields by the castle, right? Over there?” She pointed off to the other side where a small stadium was. “That area?”

“Yup.” Leora crossed her arms. “I never enjoyed going there. Although I’ve practiced my summoning for protection and everything, I hate violence. I think cheering you on tomorrow will be the first time I’ve ever actually wanted someone to win.”

Reaching behind her neck, Malori moved her hair around so she could play with her small ponytail. “But he’s the king… he’s beaten a demon lord… I don’t stand a chance.”

“You are plenty strong.” Leora answered confidently. “Malori, you’re amazing… smart, beautiful, talented, super strong… and so, so caring.” Two steps closed the distance between them so Leora could be close again. “How did I get so lucky with you?”

The words felt like a knife was turned inside of Malori’s gut. “You don’t… really know me that well, Princess… I have my bad sides too.”

“I want to see them.” Leora reached over to hug her friend and shifted their weight so they both fell to the stone floor.

“Hey!? Princess Leora!?” Flat on her back, she looked up at the girl straddling her.

“I want to know everything about you.” Her hands sought out Malori’s and interlaced their fingers before gently pressing them next to the girl’s head. “Everything…”

“Le…ora… We can’t.” Her head turned to avoid a kiss. “I… want to wait until I’m married.” Another lie.

Leora giggled happily while cuddling up on her. “Oh my, that means you’re still a virgin? I thought for sure someone as amazing as you would have had a lover?”

“N-no, I’m a virgin.” Another. “There hasn’t been anyone I’ve wanted to be with.” And one more.

“Then… I’ll be your first.” Leora rested her forehead on her fiancée’s. “And… you promise you’re okay with me? With… my body?”

“One thing I can honestly tell you is that I don’t mind about that.” Malori weakly smiled at her, glad she could at least tell her one thing that was true that night. “You’re beautiful, Leora.”

“…I want you tonight…”

Malori’s head shifted, trying to avoid yet another kiss. “We… can’t.”

“Please.” Her hands moved to start working the mage’s dress. “I can’t wait…”

“P-princess, we’re…”

“No one will be here.” The blonde moved the gown down, stopping when tugged the choker around the girl’s neck. “It’ll be okay, I promise.”

“B-but we’re outside, and it’s not good for-for our first and-“ Malori tried to scoot away but only managed to press herself against the wall. “Leora!”

Slender fingers stopped when she unclasped the thick cloth around Malori’s neck. “… I’m sorry. I just… I want you so bad.” Moving forward, she tilted her head to plant a small kiss on top of the demon charmer mark but stopped cold when she saw the inflamed red ring of teeth marks all around it. “What… What is….”

Malori’s heart skipped a beat, leaving a sick feeling in her stomach from the sudden jarring sensation it gave her. “The… bite mark?”

“What… Malori…?” Leora gently pulled back, her eyes wide. “How did…?”

A slow breath was taken and once more, another lie came from her lips. “Velverosa found out about me being a demon charmer… She wants to use me to help stop the rebels that attack her… and…” Slowly reaching to touch her treasured mark, she apologized to Vel in her head for what she was about to say. “To make sure I would remember what would happen to me if I used it against her, she bit me… If I use my powers on her even once… she’ll rip my throat out.”

Leora was shaking, both hands barely touching the area around the wound. “Let… let me heal it.”

“No!” Malori made the princess jump from the sudden shout. “I don’t… want her to see that I healed it, you know? Because it was a warning. It will fade, don’t worry.”

“It will scar like this!”

Unable to reveal that she didn’t mind at all if it did, Malori just gave a soft smile. “Hey, things like this happen. I made you cry earlier, right? This is something on my side. On the other hand, now that I’m part of her army, I can start sneaking information. But let’s not dwell on this okay?” Her hands started fixing her dress and clicking her choker back into place.

“Yeah…” Leora didn’t look incredibly happy about not healing the wound but didn’t try to push it. “Maybe we should go back down?”

“Good idea.” Malori accepted the offered hand to help stand and dusted off her clothing. “Uhm, would you mind giving me a moment? Let me gather my thoughts? I’ll be down in a bit, promise.”

“…Okay.” Leora reached over and brought a hand to her lips to kiss. “Remember the way back?” She got a nod. “Then I’ll see you soon. Don’t wait too long okay?”

“Yes, your highness.” Once she was alone, the girl paced the small area of the spire while rubbing her eyes. ‘ _I can’t believe how bad tonight has gone…_ ’ She wanted to scream out but at the same time she knew she had to hold it together for at least another day. A long sigh escaped and she turned to head back to the closed trap door covering the staircase leading down. Her movements stopped when she heard the sound of someone behind her. Turning fast, one hand went to her cloak to access her inventory, tome already at her call to prepare to fight.

Vel looked down at Malori with an arched eyebrow. “If you want to battle, I’ll be more than happy to slap that kiss off your face.”

“…Vel.” Malori’s body instantly went slack. “How did you get up here?”

“Jumped.”

“You jumped?”

“I jumped.”

“…Is it okay for you to be here?” Malori just accepted the lucrative answer, having seen much more unusual things lately.

“I’m staying out of sight of everyone, but glances shouldn’t be a problem.” The queen walked over to her pet and gave the hug that was so desperately needed. “You look like hell.”

The embrace was returned hard, Malori pressing herself as close as she could. “I’ve lied to so many people tonight… I’ve hurt Leora and said things to her that made me feel like I was crushing her heart in my hand.”

“I’m proud of you.”

Shoving the queen back, Malori had to force herself not to scream. “That’s not a good thing!”

“…Is it not?” Vel thought on it. “Someone trying to steal my mate, forcefully making contact, and planning a wedding you never agreed to? I think making them hate you is a good thing, right?”

“Yes… I mean no… Not like… Don’t confuse me!” With a groan Malori rubbed her temples.

“Careful or you’ll interfere with the spell.” Vel reached out and took the hands threatening to reveal the small horns growing. “Sit down a moment.” She helped Malori get to the floor without messing up the gown too much. “I was worried that being in the field would be too much for you.” Vel knelt down next to her mate and placed a hand onto her shoulder. “Once this is over, why don’t you just stay my advisor instead of one of my generals? Isn’t that why you wanted to join in the first place?”

Malori hugged her knees close and shook her head. “I told you: I’m going to stand next to you, right under your wing.” The words made confidence start to seep back into her voice. “Where I belong.” As she looked up to the woman above her, she felt energy start to come back in her system. “I think all I needed was some reassurance... Seeing you again. It is rough right now, but... It’s for the best. We’re fighting to win a war with as little bloodshed as possible... Leora will understand in the end... we can still be friends after it is over.”

Velverosa didn’t growl at those words like Malori thought she would. Instead she simply leaned forward and kissed her lover fully on the lips. Several seconds passed by between them before she pulled back, a smirk on her face. “With that, I’ve taken your lips back. You should return to the event area; I’ll go back to preparing for tomorrow.”

“You’re... not going to try and kill the princess?”

Vel hopped to the top of the spire and looked back at her, the moonlight shining over her frame. “A dragon doesn’t have to defend their possessions from something that isn’t a threat to them.” With those words she leapt from the roof.

Malori scampered up and over to the edge to look down, seeing her queen land with a graceful three-point stance before running into the shadows. ‘ _She’s so freaking cool! My heart can’t take lines like that!_ ’ 

Several breaths were taken and she went back downstairs, finding Leora waiting for her at the ballroom entrance. “Princess!” The last few steps were ran. ‘ _That’s right... I may have to lie to you now, but when everything is over, and I can tell you the truth... You’ll understand._ ’ A relieved smile came over the mage’s face as she hugged her at the last moment. 

“M-Malori?”

“Just... Wanted to show that I care.” Malori told her softly. “In the future, I want you to think back on this moment, okay? If you ever doubt that I want the best for you... This is me showing that. I want the best for you, Leora.” Sliding back, she smiled and held both of the girl’s hands. “Just... remember this.”

“You’re acting awfully weird.” The princess let it slide in favor of holding her hand to escort back to the ballroom. “But that’s okay! Because I have a surprise for you!”

“Oh?” Malori tilted her head, her ponytail falling over her shoulder. 

Looking quite proud of herself, the heir to the throne gave a nod. “Yes! I remember seeing something really sad in your background information... and after you brought me back to my father a while back, I felt... a pain in my heart that...”

Malori caught on. “That I don’t have a father, right?” 

“I know that you were adopted by a well-known baker, and he was loved by many... Also, that you were separated from your original parents when you were really young.”

“I was.” The answer was short and blunt.

Leora turned so she could walk backwards, taking Malori’s other hand as well to pull her along through the middle of the ballroom. “But... I couldn’t just let that go! I used every ounce of influence I had to search... and it was Duke Shermont that came through for me! You see, he actually came across people who fit the description of your biological parents!” Not noticing the color fading from her fiancée’s face, she kept talking with growing enthusiasm. “He spoke with them, and it turns out they lost their daughter! They described you and even gave the right name!”

“...No...”

“Yes!” Leora turned back around and motioned for her dad, who in turn raised his hand to signal Shermont to come from the side with two people next to him. “Malori.... _I found your parents_!” 

“Little Malori!?” Keisu’s voice was forcefully soft, her toned body looking rather out of place in the expensive dress over her. “Is that you, Mal!?”

“My baby girl!” Hasha spoke loudly, arms held out wide. “I never thought I could give my girl a hug again!” 

“No... no...” Malori took a step back, eyes widening. “How...?”

Albert moved to put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Don’t be shy, it’s really them! Duke Shermont somehow found them! Isn’t it amazing!?”

Before anything else could be said, Cerik’s voice came over them “Maaaaaaaaaloooooooriiiii!” The male draped an arm over his friend and grinned stupidly. “Heeeeeeeeey!”

“Cerik!?” Malori’s nose wrinkled. “Oh gosh you reek of liquor! Are you drunk!?”

Albert frowned. “Cerik, this is an important matter.” He eyed two guards who immediately started walking towards them.

“But... But...” Cerik gave a hiccup and hunched over his friend. “It’s a daddy and daughter reunion! They need to dance! And... And...” His body swayed away from the guard who tried to grab him, pulling Malori along with him. “Hahahaha! I have to dance with.... with her first! Let’s dance, Maloriiiiiii!”

“Cerik!?” Malori shrieked as the boy behind her burped and those around him all coughed at the intense liquor smell. 

“Daaaaaancing!” Cerik began to sway, dragging Malori over to one of the large open windows. “Look! Moonlight! Let’s... Let’s dance in the moonlight!” His body shifted to sit on the ledge of the window.

“Cerik!? We’re on the second flooooooooooor!?” The two fell from the ledge just as several people tried to grab for them. 

Albert flexed his hand furiously, doing everything in his power to remain calm looking. “Find those two, bring them to me, and let’s get this reunion back on point.” His eyes turned back to Leora, who was still in shock. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know you put a lot into this, but just wait a little longer, okay? We will get her back.”

“Y-yeah...” Leora smiled weakly and turned to the two people looking seriously at the window. “Uhm, that was Cerik, Malori’s best friend... He’s a little... enthusiastic.” 

Hasha shook his head lightly. “No. No, it’s okay. It must be a shock to her as well... I’m simply happy to know my girl has someone with her...”

“Princess Leora!” One of the advisors motioned to the young ruler. “A moment.”

“Excuse me.” Leora gave a small curtsy to her fiancée’s parents and trotted over. “Have they been spotted?”

“No, your highness, but I have some news for you... That young man, I was talking to him before all this happened. When you revealed your fiancées’ parents, he swore under his breath and grabbed a bottle of spirits from the table. He didn’t mix it in a drink or anything, but instead poured it onto his hand. He rubbed it all over his face and neck and then proceeded to take a drink and gargle it before spitting it out into his cup. That boy wasn’t drunk, his actions were to remove miss Malori from the dance hall. Something is amiss...” 

Hand on her chin, Leora thought about what she had just been told. “Thank you...” Her eyes went back over to her father, who was almost pacing in rage. “Daddy! I need to speak with you for a moment.

~**~

Cerik panted out as he ran along the narrow passageways between buildings. He was already far enough away from the castle but wanted to get to his friend’s house before slowing down. Malori was still clutched against his chest and cradled tightly to his body. Her arms wrapped around his neck while she took the moment to just let the events sink in.

When the small apartment was reached, Cerik almost fell against the door. Hard gasps of air came steadily while sweat rolled down his body. “You... you owe me...”

“Yeah...” Malori shifted so she could be placed on her feet. “I owe you a lot recently.” 

“Let me take a shower and answer some questions and we’ll call it even.” Cerik followed her into her house and started unbuttoning his shirt at once. “First off... How the _hell_ did those assholes show up?”

Malori shook her head. “Your guess is as good as mine. I mean, I’m glad to know I didn’t kill them but... I just want them out of my life.” Her hands started to struggle with the zipper on her dress. “You know what? At first, I was stunned… but now? Now I’m just cheesed off!” her fingers began to angrily attempt to pull the tiny release down. “Nothing went right tonight! No matter what I did! Can’t I just catch a break!?”

Cerik swapped with Malori’s hands and unzipped the dress for her. “Sounds like you had a rough time of it. Want to fill me in?” His eyes widened and voice cut off all at once.

“Hm?” She looked over her shoulder.

“What the _actual_ fuck!?” Spinning the girl around, he let the dress fall so he could see her underwear clad frame. “Bite marks!? Bruises!? Did you get in a fight? Why aren’t these healed!? Malori, what happened to you?”

Instantly a blush went over her face and she stepped from her clothing so she could instead make her way to her bathroom to get a shower going. “Uhm... Kinky sex?”

“No way!?” Cerik followed hot on her heels. “Seriously? I knew you were masochistic but damn!” As his friend finished stripping to get in the shower, he thought about it. “Sorry to bring this up, but is it... Safe? To be with a demon, I mean? No offense, Mal, but you’re... kinda bruised, you know? You should heal them.”

“I know... I just don’t want to.” Malori offered the shower to him first but he shook his head to let her go in ahead of him.

“...Hey?” He got a hum while she started on her hair. “What’s it like? Sex?”

Malori smiled to herself. It wasn’t the topic they had intended on talking about, but it was just like them to do this. “Feels great. You should try it sometime.”

“Working on it.” Eyes rolled at the comment. 

“Can only fap to drawings so much?”

“I don’t fap to my own drawings!” He saw Malori’s fist reach out behind the shower curtain and make an up and down motion. “Ugh, why do I even bother saving your perverted ass?”

“Because you love me. Now come wash my back.”

Cerik snorted. “We’re not kids anymore. It’s bad enough seeing your ugly ass naked, but bathing together is still a bit much for our age isn’t it?”

“I didn’t ask you to get in, just scrub my back! Vel bit the shit out of me and it hurts to reach behind myself!”

“Hell, leave the kink out of it!” Cerik growled and pulled the curtain back. “Oh my god!”

Malori glared. “So help me, if you make a fat comment, I’ll fireball you into next Thursday!”

Instead, Cerik just reached over to touch the patch of scales right above the girl’s butt. “Are those... what I think they are?”

Eyes wide, Malori almost leapt straight up at the feeling of fingers stroking her sensitive spot. “Whoa! Hands off! That’s an erotic spot!”

Cerik looked at her blankly. “Don’t change the topic. Explain. Why do you have sparkling rainbow scales on your ass? And while we’re at it, explain those little horn things on your head too.”

At first Malori opened her mouth to reply but suddenly she gave him a confused look. “Wait... Rainbow?” She tried her best to turn around to look, but only managed to spin in a circle two of three times. “What do they look like?”

“Just answer my questions!” Cerik yelled at her angrily.

“Fine!” Throwing her soap covered rag on his face, she glared with a red face. “Stop gawking at me and start scrubbing!”

“Who’d gawk at your scaley ass!?” Cerik roughly slapped the rag on Malori’s body and began to scrub way harder than needed. “Start talking.”

“Ugh...” Still, she took a moment to try and gather her thoughts. “Cerik... I don’t have any answers yet... and I’m working on finding them... but...” A soft sigh came from her lips. “My body... seems to be taking on demonic traits.” Just as she thought, the rag washing her stopped moving. Silence went over them for several seconds before Cerik just sighed out.

“Figures. You’re so stupid, I’m not even surprised by that answer.” His voice sounded annoyed and a little worried at the same time. “How long have you been hiding this?”

“A few weeks... They’re growing really slowly... I didn’t even know I had the beginnings of a tail until a little while ago... I’m not used to how the illusion spells work just yet so I didn’t know running water would disperse it… You said the scales are rainbow?”

Cerik withdrew from the closed off area to start to strip so he could swap places with his friend. “They’re like... you know how when lamp oil spills on water, it has that almost rainbow look that keeps shifting depending on how the light hits it?” Malori hummed at him as she started to dry herself off. “Like that. They change color depending on how they’re looked at. They mainly look black, though.”

“I see....” Moving to get her hair, she struggled with her horns and the fluff of her towel. “Sorry... I kept this from you. I wanted to get more knowledge before I brought it up. You’re taking it rather well though.”

“Honestly, I thought I saw your horns a while back so it wasn’t as much of a shock as it could have been.” He stepped into the shower to rinse his body with a frown on his face. “So much is going on lately, this doesn’t seem like as big of a deal as it would have been a few months ago.”

“You’re not the one with horns growing out their skull. It hurts like mad if I don’t put a special cream on it. Like when your teeth grow in and they’re pushing against each other and it hurts so bad you can’t think… but on the sides on your head, out of your skull.”

“…Ouch.” Cerik shook his head to try and rid the thought from his mind. “Okay, one thing at a time. You’re safe for the time being?”

“I think so, yeah.” A controlled heat spell blasted herself dry as she talked. “So right now we have three goals. One: Make sure we lose the battles tomorrow. Two: learn how Shermont got my parents into the capital. Three: Figure out why I’m getting demon traits on my body.”

Cerik cut off the water and thought seriously while it ran down along his body. “Be really careful with this, Mal. If anyone catches wind of it, you’ll be in deep shit.”

“Yeah. I know.” A towel was tossed to her friend as he stepped out. “I’m going to get in bed… Join me?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a moment. Throw some of my clothes out for me?” He got a thumbs up over her shoulder. Turning back to the mirror, he looked at his reflection and the retreating figure of his best friend behind him. ‘ _I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Mal…_ ’ The towel came up and started scrubbing the water from his brown locks.

Before long he was in a pair of pajama pants and joined his friend in bed. She mumbled something about queen Velverosa and snuggled against his side. The boy sighed and looked up at the ceiling restlessly. ‘ _I can’t help but feel like I forgot something extremely important tonight…_ ’ He allowed himself a few minutes to wrack his mind over it before sighing out and closing his eyes. ‘ _It can’t be that important then…_ ’

~**~

Fenn ran through the castle courtyard quickly, the moonlight shining down on her frame and highlighting her wolf ears and tail brightly. Several guards were giving chase and calling out for her to surrender but she pressed on, jumping up into a window on the second floor. ‘ _That no good, lying, useless swordsman! Save me a dance, my ass! You ran out on me you-_ ’ A whistle was blown and a new group of guards caught sight of her, forcing her to start running again. ‘ _When I see you again, I’m going to pound you into the ground so hard your coffin won’t be able to respawn!’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Blood is thicker than water" originally meant that the blood of the battlefield is thicker than the water of the womb. Or rather, the blood bonds formed are stronger than the bonds of family. Cerik is saying that Malori is closer to him than any other allegiance he may have.


	7. Destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. At first, it was only 5,000 words long, but it didn't feel right to me. After expanding it to 7,000 words it was better, but I felt it was too important to not go over once more. Now, six whole days after my last update, this chapter is almost 9,000 words long! Please enjoy this double-length chapter that I poured my heart into. <3 thank you for being with me as we go through this story together.

It was way too early to be waking up after such a rough time yesterday. Still, an insistent knocking was coming on my apartment door. I wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and ignore it but it only seemed to be getting more and more impatient. Cerik seemed to awaken at that point as well, rolling over and wrapping his arms around me. He pulled me close to him and I felt the familiar feeling of comfort from my lifelong friend. Safe, secure, and protected from anything that would ever come to hurt me. It was then that I realized this was Cerik, and with one swift motion he rolled over and threw me onto the floor. He yanked the covers back up and grumbled something to me about answering my freaking door and letting him sleep. Now awake, I cursed under my breath and put up an illusion spell so I could go see who it was.

**Seeking VII**

**By: Satashi**

Malori blinked a few times when she saw Leora standing before her at the entrance to her apartment. “Princess?”

Cheeks red, the blonde allowed herself to be shown in. Her eyes looked around at once, being the first time in her fiancée’s home. “Good morning… I came to get you for the event today… plus seeing you in your jammies is a nice bonus.” The mage looked down at her oversized sleeping shirt that went way past her knees. It was white with blue moons and stars on it, baggy and comfortable to lounge in. “But I have to ask… why are most of your things in boxes?”

“I… uhm… My lease is running out, so I’m moving out. Finally going to take Cerik’s dad up on the offer to live with them in the mansion.” She could tell she was about to be invited to share a room with the princess so she quickly waved it off. “Not until we’re married!”

At that moment Cerik sleepily made his way into the room while rubbing his eyes and yawning. “Man can you two not talk quietly? Some of us are trying to sleep.”

Leora’s eyes instantly dipped down to the matching set of pajama pants Cerik had on. Anger rose in her body and she stormed over to the male and got in his face. “Why are you here!? Did you sleep with my Malori?”

“Huh?” Cerik leaned back, starting to finally wake up and realize just who was in front of him. “Princess? Er, yes? We slept together?” A loud smack echoed through the small apartment as her palm connected with his face and sent him reeling back several steps.

“Cerik!” Malori ran to him at once, a heal spell already being cast.

“That’s my fiancée!” Leora screamed at him.

“Slept! Not _slept with_!” Cerik defended himself.

“Still too close! She’s mine!”

The male wanted to say more, but instead only bowed his head reluctantly. “Understood, your highness.” He could tell Malori was about to go off so he just held up a hand. “Stop. I don’t want to get into it. I’m going to get dressed.” With a small bow to the princess, he made his way back into Malori’s bedroom and raided the closet, where he had several of his clothes off to one side.

‘ _Why is it always me?_ ’ His mind thought angrily as he plucked down his clothing and prepared to get ready for the day ahead. ‘ _Why can’t I even have a sister without everyone thinking I want to fuck her? Then when I finally manage to meet someone I do want to get kinky with, she turns out to be more of a mother figure?_ ’ One of his sketchbooks was picked up off the nightstand by the bed and he looked through it slowly.

Several pictures of Melathia were in it, starting off as sexual images with stockings but slowly turning into more calm pinup style and eventually only normal drawings. ‘ _Is this because I’m fated to be something else?’_ Looking down at his hand, he flexed his fingers as the image of a holy sword came to him. ‘ _Since I’m destined to kill demons? Will the mana tree not let me be with a lamia because I have to marry a princess and kill demons?_ ’ Looking to the ceiling, he felt a sudden wave of sadness wash over him. ‘ _Is this my punishment for agreeing to help Malori?_ ’

That very mage’s voice came gently through the door. “Cerik? You ready?”

“Ah, just a sec, Mal!” Shaking his head, he tried to clear the thoughts from his mind. ‘ _Stop it, don’t pull this now. Wait till today is over, then Malori can help. If Queen Velverosa can accept her, then… Maybe I can break the chains that bind me as well._ ’ As he stood, he felt a sudden headrush come over him that made him stumble. “Agn!?”

“Cerik? You okay?” Malori opened the door to check on him but Leora moved before her.

“I’ll check on him.” She smiled over her shoulder. “I don’t want my beautiful bride-to-be hit on in front of me.”

Malori deadpanned her reply. “Oh no. Don’t want that. Please save me.” With that, she left to get some breakfast bread for them.

“Cerik?” Leora approached the boy kneeling on the floor. “You okay?”

“Yeah… just… dizzy.” Cerik looked up with one eye closed. “Been through a lot.” He accepted the offered hand to help him stand. “Thank you, Princess.” Rubbing his eyes, he tried his best to smile down at her. Leora was wearing commoner’s clothing to hide her identity outside the castle that morning. A simple dress with her golden hair in a ponytail. However, the dress didn’t conform exactly to her body so the boy averted his eyes and felt his cheeks darken.

“What is it?” Leora tilted her head.

“S-sorry, Princess. Uhm… You should adjust your top… Cleavage…”

Leora instantly placed a hand on her chest and turned away, beet red. “Sorry! How unladylike!”

“N-no! My fault! I looked down.”

“You’re taller, you can’t help it.”

“Still.” Cerik groaned. “Man, ogling the princess… that has to be a high crime.” He got a soft giggle and a grin came over his face. “Come on, don’t laugh, I could be thrown in jail for this.”

Leora held a finger to her lips and winked at him. “Just this once, I’ll let it slide. Now get dressed.” She left with that and closed the door, a silly smile on her face.

Cerik shook his head with a grin and began to get dressed again before suddenly going still. ‘ _Wait a moment…_ ’ Standing up, he looked to the door with wide eyes. ‘ _Oh no… Tell me this isn’t fate guiding us…_ ’

~**~

Malori sighed softly as she walked down the pathway leading to the arena area next to the castle. Leora was holding onto her arm cheerfully but Cerik was at least ten feet away and wearing at least ten different warding charms on his body while muttering some kind of incantation to fend off impending events. “Cerik… I know you’re weird, but this is pushing it, even for me…”

“You never know what could happen!” Cerik nodded sagely to himself. “I’m just being prepared!”

“More like annoying.” The mage rolled her eyes. Around them several people were already gathering for the big event. Several food vendors had set up shops to sell their goods along with mini games and attractions to bring in the younger audience as well. Around the jousting field and tournament area, were packed stands with all sorts of people already cheering and waving colored flags.

“The event is color coded,” Leora explained after seeing the confused look on her fiancée’s face. “So when you’re battling, you can see who all is cheering for you by the colors in the crowd. You’re gold at my request.”

“Why gold?” As soon as she saw the glimmering hair shining in the light, she understood. “Never mind, I get it.”

“What about me?” Cerik called over to them.

“Blue,” Leora called back.

“Oh, like your eyes.” Cerik nodded.

Leora did a double take. “Oh… You noticed? Thank you. Most guys don’t catch things like that.”

Malori laughed. “Cerik isn’t like most guys.” At her words, the chanting over on her side suddenly doubled in pace. “…He’s a LOT dumber!” she shouted over at him. “Ignoring the idiot, we just need to go over to the battle preparing station and wait to be summoned out? That’s it?”

The princess was about to confirm the answer but stopped when her father suddenly came up next to her. “Daddy? Why are you out here?”

“Marcus seems to have gone missing. He was supposed to be Cerik’s…” At that moment he noticed the boy who was suddenly trying to look like he wasn’t there. “Cerik… I know what you did last night had a purpose behind it… I’m not happy with your means, but… I will talk with you after this is over so I can understand why one of my chosen warriors chose that course of action. Malori, you too. Until then, let’s pretend as if nothing has happened.”

Malori looked down for a moment before nodding up at him. “Thank you, your highness.” Despite the words, the mage felt as if the king would be way too furious at the end of the day to hold a reasonable conversation. ‘ _As long as we don’t get caught, everything will play out okay…_ ’

“Anyway,” Albert looked towards Leora again. “Cerik won’t have an opponent unless…” His eyes widened slightly as if he suddenly had an amazing idea. “Now wait a minute… Yes… Yes, that could work…” He turned to Malori. “Why don’t we have a two on one match? You and Cerik against me? I do think such a splendid show of skill would raise everyone’s spirits!”

“Daddy!” Princess Leora stood between them. “No! It’s bad enough you’re going to have to fight Malori, but Cerik as well? You’ll get hurt!”

Albert chuckled. “Don’t worry, my daughter. These two can’t injure me. Are you forgetting who killed the last demon lord? Although I do understand your worry with the way our number one here fights the current queen so ruthlessly.”

Malori’s hand twitched. “Your highness… I still feel that peace is an option.” To her dismay, her words only seemed to add fuel to the king’s raging fire of his adventurer spirit. Laughter rang out and he slapped her on the back energetically.

“There you go again! Don’t worry, I understand! All young ones are like that until they see the world for what it is! Once the demon queen Velverosa kills someone dear to you, and your heart fills with rage, you’ll know what it is like to hold your weapon with the intent to take a life.”

Cerik looked away. “Not all of us want to take lives, your grace.”

Albert walked over to the boy and put both hands on his shoulders. “Cerik, you show great promise… And a swordsman to boot. Your appearance, your skill, and those eyes when you get serious… I know the fire is in you.” Moving one hand, he thumped Cerik’s chest with the back of his fist. “When will the day come when you hold a real weapon instead of those toys you always use?”

“I don’t intend to ever hold a weapon like that.” His eyes looked away and his head bowed. The fingers on his right hand flexed reflexively as if wanting to drop something. “If I pull that sword, whatever I point it at will die. I don’t want that power.”

“A shame…” Albert looked back over to Malori. “What say you, mage of the hour? Will you have your knight fight alongside you in a handicap match against me?”

Malori pointed at him dramatically. “Handicap? Cerik is a part of me; his stats are my stats! We are one and the same, so it’s a fair fight!” The king bellowed out at her and patted the girl’s head as he walked away, saying something about how he couldn’t wait.

With a pout, Leora crossed her arms. “Too close…”

“Wha… come on!” Malori threw her hands out. “Cerik, say something!” Nothing came. “Cerik?” Violet eyes looked to the side, where the boy in question was buying some cotton candy, totally ignoring Malori’s declarations about how important he was to her. “Ugh! This is why I hate men!”

One kick to the shin and twenty minutes later, the pair parted ways from the princess and found their way to the waiting room for the matches. The rest of the top five were already in the designated area, along with the opponents sitting across from them. Malori picked out the disguised generals at once and gave a smile to them. One met her eyes and nodded to the side where a small room was. Taking the hint, she excused herself.

Inside the office area, she saw Velverosa leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. At once panic shot through the mage and she closed the door behind her. “My Queen,” she whispered frantically. “This is _not_ a good place for you to be!”

Vel simply smirked and stood properly so she could walk over to her. “Don’t underestimate me, my pet. This room is enchanted to ward off anyone from coming in, and has a muted spell over it so no one can hear what goes on inside.”

“…I see.” Relief washed over her. “I should have known.”

“I want this plan to be a success, so I’m staying out of sight. I am only here to cause a distraction at the end so everyone can escape and to help tie any loose ends. As it stands, last night Fenn was almost captured. She is hiding right now but I will have to go make a distraction for her once the battles start. I wanted to see you once more before the games so I waited here for you.”

“…I’m glad.” Malori walked over to her queen and found arms opening up for her at once. Embraced by her lover, the stress seemed to melt away from her. “This feels good…”

“Of course it does, you’re my mate. We’re bonded.” Vel smoothed down the red hair of the girl holding onto her.

“I’m still surprised you’re taking everything so well… I was worried.”

Vel repressed memories of drinking stolen wine from the ball last night while hiding out with her generals, complaining so loudly about _that bitch Leora_ that they had to mute the room she was in and make sure nobody came near her. “Come now, I’m the queen of demons! One measly human girl won’t interfere with my _pet!_ ”

Malori couldn’t help but chuckle. “I like when you call me that.” Her eyes turned upwards, sparkling violet showing through long lashes. “It makes me feel so close to you… my mate.”

Vel’s breath caught, body going stiff at once as the words reached her ears. Her tail lashed out quickly, wagging back and forth so fast it couldn’t keep up with its own pace and ended up almost just squirming around randomly in excitement. ‘ _This girl doesn’t even know the power she has with her words! If I weren’t so in control of myself, I would be lost in those eyes… drawn in by those lips… captivated by that body._ ’

“M-my Queen!?” Malori’s voice broke Vel’s trance and the demon queen quickly pulled her lips back from the girl’s…. and removed her hand from up the mage’s skirt… and took her other hand from her breast.

“A-hem! I was… testing your self-control. Good job, pet, you passed.” She nodded as if Malori believed what was being said. “Proud of you.”

“If you just wanted a kiss…” Hands reaching up, the redhead got on her tiptoes and gently pulled Vel’s neck down so she could touch their lips together. She felt the long tail slip around her waist, pressing her closer as strong arms embraced her as well.

When the kiss ended, Vel moved to whisper softly into the girl’s ear. “You have no idea what your scent does to me, do you?”

“My scent?” Malori felt a little proud of herself at the words. She had taken the time to read up a little on female puberty in the demon world – even though she totally wasn’t going through it. Because male demons were pretty dumb when it came to being hit on, females developed certain pheromones to attract mates. Luckily, it also worked on other girls. “Do you like my scent, Vel?”

Huffing out, the dragoness snarled in a mix of annoyance and a flirtatious tone. “You love addressing me casually, don’t you?” Her mouth began to kiss along Malori’s cheek and along to her neck to trace the choker she wore. “Maybe I should punish you before your match?”

“Think you could hold yourself back before I have to leave?” Malori took a step forward, forcing Vel to fumble backwards and fall onto a chair to sit on. Licking her lips, she straddled her mistress and draped her arms around her neck.

“You think I’m so weak as to cave to your advances?” Hands on Malori’s hips, Velverosa simply chuckled. “Have you forgotten the two-some dozen times I’ve killed you while coming onto me?”

“Things are different now.” Malori cooed out. “How about a little wager?” She moved up along the larger body so she was almost laying against it. The look she got told her to continue, and she spoke with a smile. “Before my match starts… if I can make you want more, then…” A sultry look came over her eyes. “I want you to sleep in my bed tonight.”

Snorting, Vel agreed. “Fine. And if I win…” Lifting Malori’s chin, she talked right against her lips. “I want you to wear a collar instead of that little cloth choker of yours… You’ll answer to _pet_ and call me Mistress.”

“Be warned,” Malori back talked her huskily. “I’m prepared to lose.”

‘ _Oh, is embarrassment a kink of yours, little pet?_ ’ Vel mulled over this new information while Malori took ahold of her hands and placed them on the sides of the chair.

“No touching,” the mage breathed out hotly.

“Is this some kind of human foreplay?” Vel arched an eyebrow at her, a soft smile on her face now that they were starting to get intimate.

“Mmmn… Maybe?” Malori realized that she had to pretty much stay on her tiptoes when straddling the taller woman in the chair. “I think a better word for it might be... _torture_.” With a small adjustment of her dress, the mage started to gently grind her hips in a back and forth motion.

“Mnnnph?” Vel’s eyes widened slightly. “What’s... the point of this?” Her tail was starting to sway behind her in a confused fashion. Despite her words, each of her fingers began to grip the chair just a little bit harder.

“Mmmn... You tell me?” Malori’s eyes were playful, mouth smiling. Her hands played with the hair behind Vel’s neck as she continued to buck up against her in a purposely slow motion. “It should be an easy win, as much as you’ve denied me, my Queen.”

Velverosa lifted her head lightly when Malori leaned forward, a tongue suddenly going along her throat. A gulp was involuntarily taken and it slid down across the wet muscle that tried to taste it. “If you think... merely rubbing yourself on me... will make me cave...” When she only heard a confident giggle, goosebumps began to run over her skin. With it came a slight realization that her crotch was starting to feel a little damp, and not only just from her. “...Malori?”

“Mmmn?” The girl breathed out hotly against Vel’s neck, hips starting to rhythmically dance in a back and forth tempo. “Yes, my Queen?”

The Dragoness forced herself to look at the ceiling, the chair they were sharing making a creaking sound as her fingertips dug into it. The scent of pheromones and chestnut were invading her mind, mixing that slightly sweet scent dashed with comfort of freshly baked bread. “This… is stupid…”

Malori only pushed more, her body now sliding ever so noticeably up and down along Vel’s with each hip gyration. “Is it?” Hands held onto strong shoulders, body moving to a tune that only she could hear.

Breath was getting in short supply for the older of the two. She knew they were both turned on, and only thin pieces of cloth were separating them from what they both so desperately wanted right now. Her golden eyes finally looked down again and her whole body seized. Violet orbs were slightly watering, cheeks hotly stained red. Those kissable lips were parted as a whine escaped them. Without warning, Vel’s tail whipped around and cradled the girl closer, urging the bundle of hotness closer for a kiss.

“No touching,” Malori reminded her with a delectable purr.

“Tails don’t count!” Vel almost shouted, their noses brushing. Her whole body was alive with sensations of the girl on her, mind raging at what she was tricked into. ‘ _This little brat thinks she can do whatever she wants just because she’s my mate…!_ ’ Gritting her teeth, she let go of the chair and grabbed Malori by her butt so she could lift her enough to kiss.

“Mmnph!?” Giving in at once, her body melted against Vel’s. “Mmmn…” A wet sound came as they parted, saliva trailing between them as their tongues slid back into their mouths. Both of their bodies were rising as they panted, eyes dilated while drinking in their lover’s image. “I... should get ready.”

“Don’t go.” Vel growled insistently. “I don’t want you to go.”

Malori looked proud of herself. “Then it’s my win, Vel.”

“I never asked for more,” Vel stated, moving to kiss Malori again. The mage caved, giving herself over and over to the insistent tugs to the queen’s body, mouth parting for the invading tongue to claim hers as its own. Minutes passed before she allowed Malori to properly breathe again, body sweating and shaking in her arms. “I win, pet.”

Gasping, almost drunk on the kisses, Malori allowed herself to just relax into the arms supporting her. Moments passed before she could talk again, voice still a bit weak from the intimate moment. “What color will my collar be, my Queen?”

“Black and gold, to match my outfit.” Velverosa cooed down into her ear. “With a star shaped gem so the words _Vel’s pet_ can be enchanted into it. Old dragon’s tongue so it can’t be read by other humans.”

“Yes, my Queen.” Malori rubbed her cheek against her mate’s skin. “And my leash?”

“It will be bound to my magic so I can form it.” Vel revealed. “I don’t want a physical one. People tend to touch them. Killing so many would interfere with my work flow.”

Giggling, Malori smiled. “Yes, my queen.” Gently pulling back, they locked eyes again. “I look forward to receiving my gift. I’ll never take it off.”

“You won’t,” Vel agreed at once. “Or I’ll punish you.”

Malori’s eyes widened ever so slightly. “I might need to remove it to shower.” As Velverosa’s lips turned to a frown, the mage called her bets there and gently slid from the lap. “Battle is about to start, so I’ll have to be going. Thank you for the match, Vel!”

“Go on. I want you to show everyone what a bad ass my mate is. Make me proud, pet.” Standing, Vel walked Malori to the door and kissed her forehead before letting her leave. “I won’t be able to watch your match, so tell me about it at the tower later.” Smiles came, and once the door was closed again, Vel instantly brought her hands up to her cheeks to hide her blushing face. ‘ _What the hell was that!? Torture was the right word for it! Humans aren’t to be underestimated in this field!_ ’

Pacing the room, her tail began wagging around behind herself. ‘ _And her scent! I want to gobble her up and squeeze her to death in a hug at the same time! How does she do it!?_ ’ Walking over to one of the walls, Vel placed both hands onto it so she could slam her head against the brick. A large puff of dust came with several cracks along where her face smashed along it. Pulling back, she sighed softly as blood trickled down from her nose. “There… Much better.”

~**~

Cerik looked up when Malori sat down next to him. “Hey. Where did you run off to?”

“Room in the back.” Malori answered simply. Her hands were busy adjusting her clothing and trying to fix her hair.

“There’s a room back there?” Cerik tilted his head and got a grin from his friend. “Anyway, Alto got wrecked almost immediately. I bet the king is pissed... He was supposed to go against another priest but, well, you know.”

“Maurik, yeah.” Malori whispered. “There’s no way he stood a chance.”

“Laila’s match wasn’t much better. Second loss on our side... Galena is currently fighting, which means we’re up next... Thanks again for making me fight the king, by the way.”

“Anytime.” Malori snickered. “He’s going to be pretty pissed off by now, so we have to play our cards right. He won’t let it appear as if he’s throwing the fight, so we have to carefully make it look like he gets a lucky blow on each of us.”

“Yeah, yeah. Not like I could defeat him anyway. He’s level ninety-nine isn’t he?”

“True, but he lost his adventurer title when he became king, so he no longer has all the skills and passive abilities that we have. I bet we could actually win if we tried hard enough.” The two shared a glance, a sudden competitive spark rising up between them. 

“We could fight for the first little bit...”

“Just the first few minutes...” A nod came. 

Before long, the doors opened and a knight stepped in. “Malori, Cerik, you’re up.” The two friends stood up and bumped their fists together while following him out. When the sunlight hit them, a roaring of the crowd also came to their ears. Gold and blue flags were waving dramatically, mixed with a royal purple evenly scattered throughout the crowd.

Cerik felt a satisfied smirk coming to his lips. “Looks like we’re about even.”

“Not quite... a quarter for me, a quarter for you, and half for the king.”

“Then let’s change the odds.” The pair moved to the center of the field to stand before the king. “Your highness.” Two bows came before him. “It is an honor. Please don’t hold back.”

Albert smiled at them as best he could. “Let’s make this a spectacle.” It was clear that his mood was sour, as his plan to show off his adventurers was in shambles. “Malori, I hope you’re prepared.”

The mage’s eyes lit up. “Careful, your highness. I’m invincible as long as Cerik is with me. Like I said, his stats are mine, so until they are gone, I can’t be touched.”

Albert chuckled. “I felt the same way towards my mage back in the day... This brings back fond memories... To a good duel.” His fist was held out and touched by the other two, who repeated the words. 

Each pair stepped back several feet and took a stance. The roaring of the crowd got even louder, almost overpowering the booming of the starting shot. At once the king vanished, sword drawn and appearing before Malori. His blade met steel, and eyes focused on narrowed brown orbs before him. “Fireball!” Two hands reached around Cerik’s body to blast Albert away, making him slide on the dirt and casually pat the flames from his cloak.

“Che,” Cerik scoffed at the nick in his sword. 

“Cerik, you should use better gear. It’s such a waste!” The swordsman ran forward, slashing down to a simple block. “I expected better.”

“Sword spike!” The ground under Albert gave way to several blades erupting from the earth. Although cut, the ruler of Folstina managed to jump away and turn in the air before darting towards Malori again. When his eyes saw the playful smile on her face, he instantly cut to the side to avoid several cuts of air where he just was. 

“What is this...?” Another defensive move had to be employed to cut off several pages of a tome flying at him that quickly burst into flames. When the smoke cleared Cerik was already on him again to exchange blows of steel. ‘ _Their moves are perfectly in sync!_ ’ The burning fire in him lit up at the challenge, eyes going dark in concentration

Cerik pushed harder, teeth grit together as he tried to move faster and faster, to at least land one blow in before they had to throw the match. A speed boost increased his agility and a strength up made his sword tilt the king’s ever so slightly more to the side. Buff after buff, assist after assist, he began to push the famous warrior back inch by inch. 

“I haven’t felt this good in years!” Albert called to him as their blades clashed. Their faces were close, noses almost touching as they fought for dominance. “Cerik! You’re amazing! I’ve never had my heart pump this hard in battle since the demon lord!”

“Yeah...?” He grunted as Albert started to overcome him despite all the power he was getting from Malori. “Feeling... is... mutual!” Pulling his strength, he shoved forward again. All at once his balance over shot as his sword shattered from the strain of the combat. A foot to his gut forced the air from his lungs and he fell back onto the ground.

“Sorry, I have to end this quickly.” Albert panted out at him. “My body isn’t what it used to be.” Holding up his sword, he prepared to dip Cerik’s hit points into the red to knock him out of combat. With a hard slash, his blade clashed against formed lightning dancing across the palms of Cerik’s gloves. “What...?”

“Sorry...” Cerik gasped out as he shoved the king several steps back. Holding out his other hand, a streak of yellow crackling energy scattered the dirt until it arced up Cerik’s body and formed the second blade in his off hand. “But I’m not out yet.”

Albert swallowed down his shock and retook his battle stance, eying the blades of magic that his opponent now held. “What happened to you not wielding any other sword?”

“Like we told you,” Cerik narrowed his eyes. “Malori is an extension of my body. Her stats are my stats. Her magic is mine!” His body blurred, forming again before Albert. Two slashes knocked his sword away and three more made the king retreat to regain his footing. Before he could even gain his senses both swords were thrown at him. The first exploded at his feet and after a grunt of effort he caught the second by the handle, only to have it blow as well.

“Ugh...” Albert used his sword to help him stand, panting out and coughing a bit of blood. “How...?” As he struggled to look up, the corners of his eyes caught the blurred sight of more and more blue fluttering in the wind. Less were calling for him and the two standing before the ruler of Folstina were slowly gaining favor.

Malori’s voice came up from behind Cerik. “Antimagic on his gloves. I enchanted them a while back at school. I can form my spells into temporary forms and release them when he no longer needs them.”

Cerik reached down to the ground and gripped a handful of grass. As he pulled, a large two-handed claymore came to his call. Malori moved her hands along with her friend’s body, giving him what he needed to fight.

Standing tall, Alert unfastened the cloak from his body and let it fall to the ground. “Amazing... If only all five of you fought together with such teamwork... Our kingdom would be free from the demon threat.”

The swordsman shifted, holding the claymore up as red wisps of strength up enchantments ran around him. “I’m with Malori. I think peace is the best option.”

“Peace won’t bring back those who died, Cerik. You’re much too young to know what destiny has in store for you.”

“I know enough to know fighting destiny is still an option.”

Albert frowned. “You can’t fight destiny.”

“I’ll try.”

Both figures ran forward, the clashing of swords sending a small shockwave that kicked up dirt and grass. A small explosion followed, and a ripple came through the ground that shook Malori to her knees. When the dust settled, she looked up and ran over to her friend lying face down on the dirt. “Cerik? Cerik!?”

“...Sorry, Mal.” Cerik looked at her weakly. “Even with your help... Still no match for a king.”

“Yeah... Just take it easy. You threw the match, remember?” Malori kissed his forehead softly and gently turned him to his back. “I’ll finish this up and heal you soon.” With a breath she stood back up and looked back over at her opponent. Albert was bracing on his sword, but still standing tall. A quick observation spell showed him at almost half health and nearly seventy five percent fatigued. 

‘ _I have to be careful,_ ’ Malori thought to herself while buffing her casting speed. ‘ _I can’t let the king know I’m going to lose on purpose because he thinks he is going to do the same. I have to lure him into a clash and pretend to slip up._ ’

“Malori,” Albert smiled at her fondly. “Your swordsman fought valiantly for you. It reminds me of my youth...”

“You’re not old, your highness!” Malori playfully flirted with him. “You don’t look a day over thirty!”

A soft chuckle came from him. “I certainly feel it.” His sword was pulled from the ground and pointed at her. “Come on, the longer I stand here the more tired I become... I want the chance to face the future queen in all her glory before I am too brittle of an old man to grip the handle of a blade!”

‘ _You’re Leora’s dad alright._ ’ Malori instantly began slinging pages from her tome at him, each one being sliced through as the distance closed. ‘ _I can’t wield my weapons myself, so I’m at a huge disadvantage.’_

Albert’s sword smashed against a pink barrier around Malori as she summoned several pillars of fire around herself. All at once a gale of wind fanned them into one big inferno that swept around the king. Before long the flames died out, shattered by a slice of the royal blade.

‘ _Crap..._ ’ Malori tried again, flooding the area with water and calling lightning to her hands, only to have her barrier shatter and have the water rush over her own feet as well. Releasing the sparks, she let the spell fizzle out in fear of hurting herself in the process. 

“I have to say, I expected a little more,” Albert mused at her.

‘ _Yeah, well, I’m holding back because I don’t want to blow you up by accident,_ ’ Malori pouted at him, puffing her cheeks out like an annoyed chipmunk. “Sorry, limiting spells because of bystanders! Please come by again when I can cast my area of effect magic!” With a little wave, she shooed him off like a clerk not wanting to deal with a customer.

Albert laughed. “Cheeky one, aren’t you?”

Hopping up and down, she began rapidly casting agility up on herself. “I’ve been told that a time or two.” Her frame turned transparent and before it could fade she was before the king, a hand on his chest. “Wind!” The gust sent him flying upwards. “Gravity!” The man was slammed back into the ground. “Earth!” At her will, the ground swallowed him up to his shoulders. With Albert now in the ground before her, she put a finger on her chin as if she were thinking. “Huh... I expected a little bit more.” Malori winked at him.

Albert growled deeply, forcing himself from the debris prison and climbing up from it. “Seems I spoke too soon.”

‘ _This is it!_ ’ Malori braced herself. ‘ _Lure him in and make it look like my barrier broke!_ ’ Her hands brought her shield up, blocking a hard sweep. “That all you got!?” She taunted. “I think I almost felt something!” A flash of anger went through the king’s eyes, his pride being tested. 

“Watch your tongue!” Albert’s blade took on a glowing white color, his holy enchantment activating from his passion.

‘ _Wait!_ ’ Malori deflected the swing with her shield but several gashes appeared along it. ‘ _He’s using his sword’s power!? That’s too much!_ ’ With a hard upward swing, the king cleaved through the shield and countless pages from Malori’s tome. “Your Highness! I think we’re getting a bit too serious here!”

“Didn’t you want more!?” Albert’s rage was clear as he gripped Malori’s clothing. “Show me everything you have, Malori! Show me you can kill Velverosa in my place!”

“I don’t want to kill her!” Malori screamed back, both hands grabbing the wrist holding her to burn it with flames. “We can work it through peacefully!”

“You disappoint me… I’ll have to train you myself to stand before the demon queen once this is over. So one day, you can fight for what is just and right.”

Holding back a scream, the mage leapt into the air. Albert’s arm was used as a brace to steady herself, right hand moving back to fling a fireball point blank at his face. Even with the smoke and erupting flames, the white glowing blade was still seen. Unable to move in the air, Malori felt the burning tip of it pierce her stomach. The force lifted her, slinging her lithe body up and backwards as it carved a gash through her skin. As she fell, a rain of thick red liquid followed her.

A hard crack on the ground stole what little air the girl had left in her system. Hard, ragged gasp came as she looked up at the blue sky above her. Slowly she brought a shaking hand to her chest and touched it before holding it up so she could see. Blood was thick on her fingers and a cough sent more from her mouth. 

“Malori!?” Cerik’s body slid into view above her with a panicked look on his face. “Oh shit... oh shit oh shit... _Healer!_ I need a healer!”

“Ce....ik...” The girl felt her hand being taken. “Ca...nt....heal...”

Swallowing, he looked over the wound frantically. “This... looks like holy damage...” Eyes widening, he moved the red hair from the girl’s ears, seeing the horns there. “Oh no...”

“Hurts...” Coughing again, she felt the sticky red fluid splatter on her face. “Different… feels different…” Closing her eyes a moment, she took a shaking breath in through her nose. “Scared…”

“Don’t be scared.” Cerik gently wiped the blood from his friend’s cheek. “You’ll respawn soon, you know that.” The ragged breathing started to get more frantic, the hand holding his starting to pull on him before going slack. “Malori, you’ll revive, I’ll go meet you at the church.”

Violet eyes began to water as realization started to sink in. “Tell… Velvero…sa…”

Cerik bit back a sob. “I know... I know, Mal. I’ll tell her, then you can tell her yourself. I’ll see you soon, yeah? Yeah?” When no answer came, he looked at the still eyes of his best friend. “Malori? Mal? Hey... Hey, Mal!?” A shadow came over him as Albert stood next to the pair. “Where’s her coffin?” Cerik asked him, eyes downcast. 

“I... don’t know.”

_Cerik, my body is taking on demonic traits._

“Where’s her coffin!?” Brown eyes slowly looked up towards the king of Folstina. 

_I don’t have any answers yet, but I have horns and the start of a tail. I think I’m becoming part demon somehow._

“We have priest here in the stadium, they’re on their way.”

_Demons don’t respawn._

Cerik stood and grabbed the king’s shirt with his bloody hands. “Where’s her fucking coffin!?”

The sounds of footsteps running over to them made both of them turn to the side to see several knights with their swords drawn. Albert held his hand up and the blades lowered at his command. “My Liege,” one of the soldiers knelt. “The demon queen has been spotted near the castle gates! Our elite were to be sent to stop her, but they were demon generals in disguise. Sire, we have been infiltrated! The ones fighting today weren’t who we thought they were!”

Albert swore loudly. “That’s why things went the way they did… Damn it! They played us!”

Leora finally reached them, stumbling over her own feet before falling down before Malori’s body. “Why… Why isn’t she respawning!?” A loud explosion by the front side of the castle made their attention shift over to it, Cerik finally unhanding the king.

Albert frowned. “Split the knights. Have them see to it that the villagers get out safely while the rest go to take care of the demons. Cerik, I need you to stay by my daughter. Get her to safety.”

Brown eyes widened in rage. “My… My friend just _died_! You _killed_ her! I’m not leaving her side!”

“Adventurers don’t die!” Albert yelled at him harshly while grabbing his shirt and lifting him. “You will answer me with respect and do as I tell you! Take my daughter to safety!”

“Daddy…” Leora’s voice somehow made it to her father. One of her hands gently tilted Malori’s head to the side to reveal the two horns on her head. “She… was working as a double agent.” Although trying to stay strong, her voice began to break as tears began to seep into her eyes. “She told me last night… when we were talking about marriage… She asked me… asked me to trust her… Because… she wanted the best… for… for…” A sob shook her form as she fell over to cry onto her fiancée’s body.

Albert let Cerik down, eyes downcast. “She took such a dangerous job to help her people… and because of it, she was tainted by their evil.” Gripping his sword tightly, Albert began to shake in anger. “They fooled us all! They used today to not only ruin our plans at raising moral, but to turn us against each other. They knew my sword was holy enchanted… Against an adventurer it would have no effect, but to someone with demonic taint…” He looked at Malori’s still form. “Curse it all!” Turning to his troops, he spoke angrily to them. “Men… we’re going to war.”

Cerik fell to his knees before Leora and his friend. “So this is it, huh?” His voice was dazed, eyes overcast by a fog. “This is what destiny does to me to make me do it?”

“…Cerik?” Leora slowly looked up, tears smearing a small bit of blood that had stained her cheek. Screams were all around as people fled from the arena, the once waving flags of support now scattered and stepped on in panic.

“Heh… It’s almost comical. My childhood friend gets taken by demons and she dies before me so I will have my motivation?” A tear ran down his cheek as his hand slowly reached over to close Malori’s eyes. “Kill the demon queen who set this up… Avenge the death of my friend… save the kingdom… protect the princess…”

Leora swallowed, slowly reaching out to touch his hand only to have it slapped away. “I know you’re mad… I am too… but now isn’t the time to-”

“Isn’t it?” The swordsman felt his hand twitch and then grip something under it. Slowly he stood, lifting up the handle of a golden sword encrusted with precious gems. The guard on it looked like dragon wings, the blade etched of a Damascus steel pattern but with golden inlays.

“Is that… the summoned hero’s sword?”

Cerik gripped the sword and began to walk, one hand reaching up to access his inventory. “I’m going.”

“…Where?”

“To face my destiny.”

~**~

Fenn ran across the castle town’s rooftops, leaping from one to the next as guards tried to give chase below. ‘ _Queen Vel and the rest caused the perfect distraction. They should be mostly back to the demon tower by now, and with everyone giving chase to them, I should be able to slip out as soon as I leave these idiots behind._ ’ With a few more jumps, she cleared enough distance to land and run the rest of the way outside one of the huge archways leading outside of the city.

The beastkin slid to a halt when she ran into the royal guard and the king making a line before her, swords already drawn. “We may have missed the main prey,” Albert stated firmly. “But we will claim one life in exchange for the one we lost today.”

Fenn growled at them darkly. ‘ _I can’t take them all on myself… I’ll have to summon help._ ’ Taking a deep breath, she turned her head up to the sky. “Awwooooo!”

One of the guards laughed. “You think calling for help will work here!? I guess being too scared to fight your own-” His words cut off as a shadowy figure darted before him, grabbing his face and slamming it into the ground in one smooth motion.

The guards scattered into position, swords now pointing at the summoned aid of Fenn. A tall beastkin was panting heavily over the fallen guard. Short blue hair blew in the wind, topped with matching wolf ears with white tips. He was shirtless, wearing only jeans and boots. Right before the waistband of his pants came a fluffy blue tail, frosted with white streaks until it formed a solid tip at the end. Yellow eyes with black slits, long claws for fingernails, and an enraged look on his face. He was not pleased to see them.

Fenn smirked. “What were you saying about not getting help? Beastkin and demons never leave anyone behind, unlike you humans!”

Albert opened his mouth to reply but had a body thrown at him by the newcomer. A raging snarl came paired with several quick attacks, making short work of the guards. Although receiving a few cuts and gashes, the male didn’t seem to even notice as he walked in a straight like to the king. “Very well. If you want a fight…” Drawing his sword, he slashed it down, only for it to be caught in the beastkin’s hand.

Gripping the sword, the man reached back and punched through the armor worn by his opponent. Albert stumbled back, losing his sword and struggling to right himself. The wolfkin threw the sword away with disgust as he walked forward, punch after punch coming in rising succession. With each blow landing, the temper of the male only seemed to get more and more intense and fervent.

‘ _He looks like a berserker, but each attack is going for a vital point…_ ’ Fenn’s eyes widened lightly. ‘ _He’s not messing around; this is a death match!_ ’ Watching her summoned partner lash again and again, she debated whether to stop it or not. They wanted peace, and killing the king wasn’t the best way to get that. Luckily for her, the choice was made for her when the guards previously chasing her started running out from the gates towards them. A sharp whistle got the attention of the beastkin and she shouted to him. “We have to go!” The berserker was struggling, clearly looking like it wanted to finish off the weakened king. “Now!” With the command given, he turned to Fenn and ran alongside her, both vanishing into the forest.

Once the pair was far enough away, Fenn took out a teleportation crystal from a sash on her waist and grabbed her partner’s arm. The two phased from sight and soon appeared in front of the demon tower where the rest were waiting for them. “Made it!” Fenn sighed out in relief.

Velverosa smiled at her. “Good job Fenn.” A pat on the head was enough to make the wolf girl’s tail swing behind herself happily. “Now we just have to wait for Malori.” Her eyes went to the other beastkin. “Who’s your friend?”

The blue haired wolf-boy was shaking, shoulders heaving. His legs gave under him and he fell to his knees and hunched over. Time and time again, he struck the ground with all his might, scattering dirt and making an indent under him.

Fenn shook her head softly when she was looked at. “He came when I called for help… He singlehandedly took out the royal guard and almost killed the king… If reinforcements hadn’t shown up… he would have succeeded.”

Vel looked impressed. “Someone with that kind of power… What is your name?” The beastkin didn’t answer.

Fenn knelt by him. “Hey…? Name?” The boy looked up slowly, struggling to understand what was being said through the rage coursing through his veins. “Queen Velverosa, he’s injured and has the berserk status… Could you do a heal?” Without a complaint, the demon queen held out her hand to bask him in a green light.

The blue hair began to fade, ears shrinking down and returning back to normal human standards. With a swish, fluff from the tail began to disappear as it withdrew from sight as well. In the place of the berserk beastkin knelt a weakened Cerik Aldebrand. Silence came over the group for several long moments before he slowly stood up and forced himself to stumble over to Velverosa.

A long breath was taken to steady himself. Eyes were wiped free of tears and he tilted his head up to look into the golden eyes burning into him. “My queen,” he spoke as firmly as he could. “Malori…” Despite his best efforts, his bottom lip still began to quiver. “Malori was… struck down by the king of Folstina.” The shocked look that he got made it even harder for him to continue but he forced the words to come out. “She wanted me to tell you… That she loves you… and…” His will finally gave and he broke eye contact as he coughed out the remainder of the sentence. “She can’t revive.”


	8. Mana

When I awoke, the first thing I noticed was how amazingly clean and clear the air smelt around me. The sun was shining brightly but I was cast in the shade of a large tree, cooled by the rustling of a breeze that reminded me that the seasons were starting to change. My body was almost impossibly light as I sat up and I realized that I was wearing a simple white dress with golden accents on it. My motion caught the attention of someone next to me and they turned to offer a smile. Long flowing green hair, bright brown eyes, and clothing much like that of a druid. They offered me a hand to help stand and I took it.

**Seeking VIII**

**By: Satashi**

“Where am I?” Malori asked softly, confusion clear in her voice. The area looked like the base of the mana tree but no buildings were to be seen. “Am I dead?”

“Afraid so,” the girl answered simply. “I pulled your soul here once you died. Normally I let adventurers go back to my roots so they can come back to life, but you… You are a special case.”

Realization started to dawn on the girl. “Wait… wait!” The person before her looked really proud of herself for a moment. “You’re a tree!?”

Almost falling over, the green haired beauty shouted back at once. “I rip your soul from the life stream and _that_ is the first thing you think about!?”

Malori laughed uneasily while scratching the back of her head. “Well, there’s that too!”

With a sigh, she continued. “Yes, I’m the personification of the Mana Tree but you can just call me Mana. I am the one who grants magic to all of the humans! Pretty impressive, huh!?”

“How do you drink water?”

“Hah!?”

Malori pointed at the ground. “Do you soak it up from your feet?”

“Are you making fun of me!?”

“I really want to know!” Malori dodged a bonk to her head. “I just found out the mana tree is actually a cute little girl, so these kinds of questions come naturally!”

“What part of…!?” Growling, Mana just crossed her arms and floated in the air next to her as if sitting on an invisible chair. “Anyway, let’s get to the point. Thanks to your idiot friend, I’m in a real pickle and I need you to help get me out of it.”

“What happened?” The redhead looked around, observing the area that would be the capital city if humans had never settled there.

“See, the way things were _supposed_ to go, were Cerik and you forming a party with the other adventurers and taking out Velverosa. That would start the next cycle and bring in an even more powerful demon lord that would be a blood thirsty war monger. The humans would be pushed back to the brink of desperation and funnel even more energy into their sacred tree, fueling my powers to summon an even greater hero for them. Rinse, lather, repeat.”

“Why would you want that to happen!?”

Mana gave a strait-laced, deadpanned answer. “A goddess is only as powerful as the devotion they get from their followers. If the humans don’t worship me and beg for my blessings, then I lose my magic. Every so often I need them to have a time to prosper and be comfortable so when they get scared, they will pray more fervently. That time is now, but _you_!” She pointed at Malori harshly, a frown now on her face. “ _You_ had to fall in love with the demon queen!”

Malori shrugged. “Yeah? I mean have you seen her? She’s freaking _hot_! Besides, why does _my_ falling in love have to do with _your_ twisted view on being a deity!?”

With a cross of her arms, Mana looked away. “You got tainted with demonic energy. Even though I personally chose you to feed more mana than anyone else… you kept going back to the demon tower. Everything has a balance; a law of equivalent exchange if you will. Most adventurers die after they expend their mana there… But you, you stay there so much that when you exhaust what I give you, you began to regain your powers naturally. Once they managed to exclude you from the mana syphon, you began to get more and more proficient at your regaining ability.”

“I… regained my energy on my own?” Malori looked down at her hand while thinking about it. “My mana regain is pretty high because of my skills, but I never considered it… Being cut from the mana tree… you… and in the tower…”

“You absorbed tainted magic from the air. Demonic energy.” Mana glared at her. “I tried to purify you, but you kept training, focusing your new energies to twist the magical code I gave humans. Every time you altered it, corrupted my divine words, you pulled demonic taint from your own body to cast it along with _my_ mana! And when you recharged yourself, it all went back into your demon energy. Forget multi-casting, you’re multi-classing as a human and a demon both… and I can’t allow that.”

“So that’s why I started growing horns and scales… Was I becoming a dragon!?” A hopeful look came over her face. “Was I going to be a super cool dragon that could transform like Queen Vel and fly over the land!?”

“What the hell, don’t you even understand what I’m getting at?”

“And my scales are that translucent rainbow because I’m the main character, right? All the colors combined because I’m super overpowered!?”

“No, it’s because you’re gay as fuck, now shut up and let me finish!” Mana’s scream at the girl made Malori flop down cross-legged style and pout. “Listen, the point is that because you became tainted, I had to change Cerik’s destiny. Instead of him fighting with his childhood friend, I wanted your death to be the catalyst that turned him on the demon queen… But that idiot almost killed the king for striking you down! Now he has sworn his loyalty to _her_!”

Malori frowned. “And this is a bad thing?”

“Yes! This isn’t what destiny has in store for him! He’s fighting my plan and I want you to stop him!”

“Why would I do that?” Malori looked away, still pouting like a small child. “Besides, I’m dead anyway.”

Mana slowly started to smile. “You don’t have to be.” The carefree and relaxed attitude Malori had instantly faded into a more serious looking stare out into the distance. “I’ve come to realize that I can’t force Cerik to take up his holy blade on my behalf. Instead, it must be his decision. In that regard, my offer is simple: I’ll revive you on a condition.” The mage looked over her shoulder so she continued. “I want to stop two anomalies in one swing. You are going to choose a side, and Cerik is going to react accordingly.”

“How will that help you?”

Mana casually walked over to stand by Malori, hands behind her back. “Simple. You will choose him over the demons, and thus leading him to fight alongside you.”

“Confident much?”

“Yes.” Producing two little orbs of what appeared to be candy before her, she made them fly over into Malori’s hand. One was white with a golden angel wing on it while the other was black with a red devil wing. “When you revive, you will be able to summon these candies at your will. Eat the black one and you will become fully demonic. I will cut off all power being fed to you, leaving you without any mana. Eat the white and you’ll receive my blessing. I’ll double your power and increase your level beyond its maximum as well as grant you holy spells only used by priest.”

“And if I don’t choose?” The redhead rolled the spherical candy around in her palm while glaring at them.

“You will,” Mana glared at her. “Because of the other condition I will place on you.”

“What is that?”

“You’ll find out. Time to wake up, Malori.” Mana placed her hand on the mage’s head and shoved her backwards. The mage’s eyes widened, vision going blurry as what appeared to look like water, suddenly surrounded her vision before overtaking her completely.

~**~

A loud gasp came as Malori awoke, eyes snapping open and back arching. Several deep, ragged coughs came as she rolled over on the bed she was on. Her body pulled into a fetal position, pain wracking through her system as she shook. It took several moments for her to steady herself and regain her senses, panting out hard through a dry throat. ‘ _Where… where am I?_ ’

The room she was in was mostly dark, illuminated by a soft aqua blue haze around the bed she was currently sitting on. ‘ _Preservation magic?_ ’ Shaking hands went to rub her eyes. ‘ _Wait… wait, wait, I’m alive?_ ’ Blinking a few times to clear her vision, a smile slowly came over her face. ‘ _I’m not in the usual reviving area and…_ ’ Looking down, a sudden blush went over her face. ‘ _Why am I naked!? Freaking perverted priests!_ ’

Stumbling from the bed, Malori clumsily made her way over to a desk in the room where some clothes were laid out. ‘ _Probably some spares for clerics and the likes when the room is used for guests…_ ’ The robes were put on with more effort than she cared to admit, her body still refusing to properly listen to her commands. Once dressed in the white one piece robe, she looked at herself in the mirror. Red hair spilled from the hood of the robe, looking limp and oily as if it hadn’t been washed in days. The pristine holy robe was lined in small maroon triangles along the edges, giving it a simple white mage’s appeal to it. ‘ _Not my preferred clothing, but better than being naked…_ ’

Another cough came and she struggled to make it to what appeared to be the main door into the room. ‘ _Am I in the cathedral? I need to get to the teleportation mirror… I’m too weak to cast right now._ ’ Step after barefooted step she stumbled through the empty hallways in the cold night time air. Eventually she stumbled into the courtyard and ran several steps to the fountain so she could scoop up several handfuls of water to quench her thirst.

Panting, Malori wiped her mouth and looked at her reflection. ‘ _I need a bath ten kinds of bad…_ ’ A grunt came as she forced herself back up. ‘ _So weak…_ ’ The path to the portal was taken and her hand was placed upon the smooth surface. ‘ _I can go to Cerik’s place first, then get him to take me to… why is it not letting me through?_ ’ Malori focused again but the image on the portal didn’t change.

Opening her mouth to swear, only silence came from her lips. Again, the red haired demon charmer tried to speak “…Ah… Ngh….” Panic began to set in. ‘ _My voice!?_ ’ Her status screen was attempted to be brought up, but nothing came to her call. ‘ _What’s… what’s going on?_ ’ Moving her hand up, she tried to access her inventory to pull an elixir but nothing appeared before her. ‘ _I can’t… access any of my adventurer abilities…_ ’ Malori moved her hand to her chest. ‘ _Heal!_ ’ No mana rushed from her hands.

_Because of the other condition I will place on you._

Malori took several steps back before turning to look up at the giant tree growing behind the cathedral. ‘ _You took my ability to form words and stole my magic…_ ’ Anger started to build up in her chest and for the first time she brought a hand to her ear to check for her horns, relieved to find them still there. ‘ _I bet she tried to purify me to…_ ’

A lump in her throat was swallowed before raising her hand. Two spherical pieces of candy were in her palm, waiting for her. ‘ _Black lets me have Vel, but I stay like this… White makes me twice as strong, but I lose my love…_ ’ Gripping the orbs, she shoved them into a pocket on her robe. ‘ _Damn it… This is the goddess we serve!?_ ’ Violet eyes glared up at the tree and she could swear she saw it sparkle at her. ‘ _Be glad I can’t summon my fire!_ ’

Growling, Malori turned and started to adjust her path. ‘ _The castle is closer than anything else to the church…_ ’ Even though her legs were trying to give out on her, she forced herself to continue to another portal, one that was fueled by the priest for easy transportation to the castle in case of emergencies. To her relief, the surface of the portal was shimmering like water and allowed her through with no resistance. Within a blink she was in the castle courtyard, shivering as a cold breeze whipped around her thinly clothed body.

Since becoming the princess’ fiancée, however against her will it was, she had become accustomed to the layout of the castle. It only took a few minutes of walking and smiling at patrolling guards -who didn’t even second guess her with the holy robes she wore- before she was at the room she wanted to be at. Two knights were posted at the door, eyes sharp and unwavering.

Not hesitating, Malori lowered her hood and walked up to them. The first knight did a double take while the other looked as if he had seen a ghost. “By all that is good…”

The redhead put a hand on her hip, not really liking anything that could be linked to the bitchess known as the mana tree right now. Instead she simply pointed to herself and then to the door to Leora’s room.

“I… I’m sorry, we can’t let you in until we confirm it really is you, Malori. Please, come with me to the cathedral so we can-”

Shaking her head furiously, the girl opened her mouth to protest. No sound came, making her only that much more angry. Pushing her way forward, she was plucked from the ground by the knights before she could get to the door. Not one to give up, she lashed out her foot and squirmed, kicking the door as many times as she could before being subdued to the ground. Much to her displeasure she found herself pinned with no way of fighting back within just seconds.

“What is going on out here!?” Leora demanded sleepily as the large wooden door opened. Her frame was covered in a flowing white night gown, mostly see through to show her more lacy garments under it.

“Princess Leora! So sorry to disturb you, we have a…situation.” One of the knights hefted up Malori. “We need to confirm her identity before-”

“Malori!?” Leora lunged forward, only to be grabbed by a knight.

“Princess! We have to make sure it’s her!”

Leora wanted to scream at them but managed to hold it back. “Check her neck. She has a bite mark scar on the left-hand side of it when Velverosa threatened to kill her. Also small horns on her head from where she infiltrated the demon army. Check.” Her blue eyes glared at the people before her for several moments.

Malori was set to her feet and the knights saluted her at once. “Apologies! Her Highness’ safety is our priority!”

“Malori!” Leora succeeded in giving her fiancée a hug this time, holding her close for several long moments before pulling her to her room. “Bring us food and water! She must be famished!”

The mage looked around the room curiously. It was bigger than her entire apartment, sectioned off with small room dividers to make it not feel like one giant open floorplan. All too soon she felt arms going around her waist and an embrace from behind. “Malori,” Leora’s voice was shaking. “You’re…” A small nod was given in an answer. “How? It’s been over a week?”

Turning around in shock, Violet eyes looked into blue in surprise. ‘ _A week!?_ ’

“You were placed under a spell to preserve your body because your coffin didn’t appear. The priest tried everything… Everyone was starting to give up hope because of the taint that you had in your body…” Her hands gently reached up to caress the horns on the girl’s head. “… How are you alive?”

Opening and closing her mouth several times, Malori finally gave up and looked to the side. Moments passed as she collected herself enough to turn back to the patiently waiting face that had tears smeared over its cheeks. Pointing to her throat, Malori shook her head.

“You… can’t talk?” This time Leora got a nod. The implications seemed to go through the princess’ mind all at once. “I see… I’ll… try and figure out something. For now, can I do anything for you? Did you just wake up? Have you seen anyone yet? Have you been looked over?” The worry for her love was slowly starting to overtake her reason.

Pulling Leora’s hand, Malori lead her over to the large bathtub that the girl had in her room. Pointing at it, she tilted her head. “Yes,” Leora answered at once. “It’s enchanted to always be warm and clean water so we can get you refreshed…” Her hands moved to help disrobe the girl when she noticed how sluggish the mage was being. “You must feel awfully weak?”

A small nod came before Malori tried to step into the overly large claw footed tub. Halfway over she almost fell, luckily caught by the princess next to her. “Sorry… I didn’t intend to look but…” Leora carefully picked up the weakened mage and lowered her into the water, cheeks turning red when Malori let out a pleased moan at the feeling.

Several minutes passed by in silence for them as Leora washed her fiancée. Blue eyes stayed averted as much as possible, hands only touching with a washcloth on areas that Malori couldn’t reach herself. Soon she found herself blow drying the red hair of her love while she sat before her on a cushioned seat wearing some of the princess’ own clothing. Due to the differences in their bodies, the shirt looked baggy over Malori’s smaller frame.

Once done, Leora helped the mage to the large bed in the room and finally received a large platter of fruits and water from a knight. Moving back to the sheets, she began to feed Malori bites of the food while she laid back. “Everyone was so worried for you…” The rich violet eyes met hers and once again she felt like her heart was going to beat out from her breast. “Malori…” A small sniff came and Leora quickly wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m trying to make myself not cry.”

Looking away a moment, Malori collected herself enough to move over and open her arms up for the princess before her. ‘ _Even after I was found out… Even after lying to her so many times…_ ’ Leora slowly slid under the covers after moving the platter to her night stand so she could embrace her fiancée. ‘ _After everything I put her through, she still is this kind to me._ ’ Feeling a gentle embrace, Malori allowed the stress of everything to finally overcome her. Losing her magic, her voice, dying and barely being given a second chance, and now being forced to choose the future of not only her life but those around her… Everything that bottled up broke loose at once until she began to silently sob out onto Leora’s neck.

“It’s okay… It’s okay, sweetheart.” The princess held her close and gently smoothed out the red hair with her hand. “I have you. I won’t let anything hurt the woman I love.”

Even if it wasn’t Vel, Malori felt comfort in the words. ‘ _Thank you, Leora. I don’t deserve a friend like you…_ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter seem a bit short? No worries, there is a non-canonical side story waiting for you! Just head over to:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/26017792  
> and enjoy a moment of Leora and Malori lovemaking! Not your thing? Don't worry, it's not canon to the story :p


	9. Clarity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! But we finally broke 50,000 words! woohoo! I hope you enjoy this chapter ^^

Waking up in bed next to Leora was definitely something new. Vel and I had spent a few nights together now and I always awoke beside her or laying on her arm while she was on her back. Leora on the other hand, was right next to me, spooning me from behind. One of her arms was under our shared pillow that I was resting on, while the other was over my waist. I could feel her steady breath on my hair, smell the rose petal fragrance that she wore, and couldn’t help but blush at the intimacy she was showing me. I was her fiancée, no matter how it happened, and even in her embrace I still couldn’t keep the thoughts of Vel from my mind. I needed to find her as soon as possible...

**Seeking IX**

**By: Satashi**

Malori felt eyes burning into her as she adjusted the garments given to her by her fiancée. Despite requesting something simple to wear, the mage was instead given an older dress that Leora used to favor when she was a bit smaller. With a few attempts at sizing, soon the redhead was decked out in full royal casual wear. Even her hair was done up by the same maids that helped the princess with her makeup and appearance.

When done, the two made their way to the throne room to meet with the king. Malori, stumbling on the heeled shoes while walking so much, reluctantly took Leora’s offered hand to help her along the way. When they reached their destination, there was already a meeting taking place. Three men stood before the throne while Albert himself paced back and forth while rubbing the beard on his chin.

“This way,” Leora guided Malori to the side as to not interrupt.

Malori followed along, curious as to what was happening. Leora led Malori to the back of the room where they could wait for a moment to make their presence known. When she got a curious tilt of the head, she explained. “For the past week, Velverosa has been pushing hard in the southern continent. Duke Shermont requested a full army and my father sent him almost double the troops asked for... Instead of protecting his land, Shermont went on the offensive.” Leora looked to the side. “It was a slaughter. The budget for the revivals was through the roof.”

Malori clenched her fist, a snarky grin on her face. ‘ _That’s my girl!_ ’ When Leora looked at her again, the mage coughed and tried to look sympathetic. A small nod told her to continue.

“When my dad found out he was furious... He refused to send any more aid, so the duke forced a required military enlistment for anyone old enough to fight...” The shocked look from her fiancée was expected, but still hurt to see. “Yeah... The demon queen attacked the large town near the capital... Villagers holding swords without even knowing how to use them, unable to revive without the adventurer title... That’s when things got worse.”

Malori reached over and took Leora’s hands, silently asking for more details.

A soft sigh came, despair in her voice. “Velverosa shamed us. She landed as her dragon form and roared so loud it made most people freeze on the spot... then she turned back to her humanoid body... and walked right up to the commanding general with no resistance. She told him that she wouldn’t dare command anyone to fight on her behalf if they didn’t want to, and she would protect everyone in her care till her dying breath...” 

Leora took a deep breath. “The general was vocal about not agreeing with Shermont, but was threatened with jail time if he didn’t obey. When Vel offered her protection from the duke as well as aid from her expanding kingdom… He bent the knee to save his town. She conquered the city without a fight, Malori. They chose the demon queen over us, and now only the capital city remains there. The continent has pretty much fallen, and the royal family is being blamed for allowing it all to happen...”

‘ _Bad leadership is the problem, not you._ ’ Although the words were thought, she knew they wouldn’t be formed if she tried to speak. ‘ _So my queen is using my advice still... Great job using their fear to sway them, Vel! I’m proud of you!’_ Crossing her arms, she nodded happily. ‘ _I thought you would rampage all over the place when you found out I was killed!_ ’ Suddenly a pang of hurt went through her heart. ‘ _Wait a moment... Why didn’t you rampage when I died!? The hell!? You could have at least set a building on fire or something!_ ’

“Enough!” Albert’s voice carried over the room, silencing the men before him. “I will consider the proposal. You’ll have my answer by nightfall, so leave me.” The people before him bowed and moved to exit the room.

With a chance now, Leora stepped from the sides. “Daddy…”

Falling onto the throne, Albert held a hand to his eyes to rub them. “Sweetheart, I know you want to help, but this is a really bad moment for me right now…”

“I think this will brighten your day a little.” Leora held out her hand, signaling Malori to come as well. The muted girl slowly made her way over, the clicking of her heels seeming to sound loudly in the room. “Look who finally woke up, Daddy.”

Albert lowered his hand and looked at the sight of the girl he killed with his own sword in shock. Slowly he stood on shaking legs and took a few steps forward, voice stumbling over his words. “By the gods… Malori, is that really you?” He got a nod. To her surprise the king himself fumbled over and embraced her in a tight hug. “My girl… You have no idea the joy you bring to this old man’s heart…” Pulling back, he offered a weak smile to her. “When everything settled down and I realized I felled the future bride of my daughter, I…”

Malori’s mouth opened slightly when she saw actual tears starting to brim the weary eyes of the man before her. “Ah… Hm…” Nodding again, she looked away. She was unsure how to take the reaction. Part of her wanted to punch him, but another understood the feeling of wanting to fight as well. What he did wasn’t on purpose, but as a king, he should have had better control over himself. In all, she was helpless to show any signs of emotions to him, forgiveness not being granted, but not exactly withheld either.

“Daddy, Malori can’t speak.” Leora made a motion with her hands and whispered a few words to herself. Before her formed a small blue summoning circle in which a blue feathered pen emerged. “I forgot about this spell, but…” A fast flick of her wrist made glowing aqua blue streaks appear before her as if she were writing on the air itself. “Here, Sweetheart, use this.”

Accepting the pen with a smile, Malori wrote out her thoughts in the air before herself, before spinning them around so they could be read by the king. _I don’t blame you. I had to withhold information._

Albert sighed. “I can’t keep this up… I allowed too much danger to go around you two. From now on, I want you both to stay in the castle while this war continues.” Each of the ladies before him looked dumbfounded for a moment, but he continued before they could make a counterargument. “I won’t take no for an answer. I almost killed my future daughter-in-law and put my own daughter in harm’s way as well. My family won’t be hurt from this!”

“Daddy…”

Malori took several breaths while trying to keep herself in check. ‘ _I have to get to Vel, I don’t have time for this!_ ’ Meeting Albert’s eye, she pulled her hair back and pointed at her horns. Once he took notice, she wrote again. _I have to go to Vel or everything I’ve done will go to waste!_

The word sparkled in the air before her, glowing a pretty blue despite the harsh intentions behind them. With that, Malori forced herself to bow and turned to storm down the throne room stairs. Her steps only faulted when Leora’s voice called behind her. “Malori! You can’t even cast magic without your voice! What are you going to do!? If you go to them now, they’ll kill you!”

Standing halfway between the door and the throne, the redhead gripped her fist tightly. ‘ _Is this what Cerik felt? Being pushed around by that bitch Mana under the guise of destiny!?_ ’ Cursing in her mind, she shook in anger. ‘ _Everything is forcing me to choose… No matter how I try to spin it, we keep coming down to a yes or no… stay with the royal family or leave… I try to leave and now I’m faced with Leora calling me to once again choose since my answer wasn’t what Mana wanted…_ ’

Glancing back at her fiancée, Malori tried her best to smile. Her pen was lifted and she wrote the words calmly before herself. _Trust me, Leora. Remember my promise_ _._ With those words lingering in the air, she turned to walk once again.

“Can you activate the portals without using your mana?” Leora’s voice made Malori stop in her tracks. The sound of heels came behind her as the distance was closed. “I thought not. So how are you going to get there?” Turning, the mage frowned for a moment before seeing the caring look on Leora’s face. “I’ll take you there.”

Albert raised his voice. “You will _not_ , young lady!” Stepping down as well, he walked over to the two. “I distinctly told you two to stay in the castle!”

Leora pouted at him. “When have I ever listened to your royal commands, Daddy?” The words made Malori snort and quickly cover her mouth to avoid a glare from the king. “My fiancée needs me. I promised to protect her until she regains her magic. I have to see this through.”

‘ _Leora..._ ’ Malori slowly reached out to take the girl’s hand. ‘ _Thank you..._ ’ 

Albert furrowed his brow. “My daughter... Can’t you see that this is a bad idea? The capital there is under attack by the demon queen and-”

Leora put on her best puppy dog eyes, looking up through her lashes with a sniff. “Please... Daddy?”

“No! I won’t fall for this! I won’t...” To his horror, Malori joined in next to his daughter, purple eyes sparkling with a mist of tears. “I... refuse to... let... Oh fine! But you’ll have guards with you!” Turning away, he stormed to his throne, missing the two high fiving each other and running off. “I’ll have the best royal guards accompany you. The finest in the army, level ninety and above only!”

At that moment, the queen entered the room and smiled at her husband. “Who are you talking to, Dear?”

Albert looked at her and turned around slowly, seeing the empty room behind him. “She did it again!”

~**~

Malori looked around the capital town of the southern continent as it phased into view before her. Guards were patrolling, armored up and weapons at the ready. Houses had their shutters drawn and the streets were empty save a few troops and hustling villagers. ‘ _I don’t blame them after that mandatory enlistment... I’d be scared to show myself as well._ ’

“Daddy will have some royal elites come after us very soon,” Leora told her lightly. “We might have half an hour before we have bodyguards with us, so if you want to do something, now is the time.”

The summoned pen came forth once more, words fluttering to life before them both. _I want to see Cerik._

“Cerik... Has been hard to get in touch with lately. His communication crystal seems to be damaged or broken and he rarely makes an appearance. He refused the call from Shermont as well.” Sighing, Leora shook her head. “He’s been in hot water ever since the stunt he pulled with...” Her eyes suddenly widened. “Your parents!”

A silent curse came from the girl’s mouth at the mention of them. _We have other things to do._ The pen scribbled in the air hastily.

“Why don’t you want to see them?” Leora moved to stand in front of Malori when she turned to walk the opposite direction of the castle. When she didn’t get a reply, she pushed the topic. “I know Cerik wasn’t drunk that night.” This time Malori’s hands balled into fists. “I was right, wasn’t I? There’s something more to this.”

The two were forced to move to the sidewalk as a group of soldiers came marching through the streets. After a set of full armor guards, came a party of minimally armored humans and demons with their weapons all in a cart behind the group. Their marching was more of a walk, rope connecting their wrists.

“Prisoners?” Leora whispered to herself while watching. “It isn’t unheard of to offer freedom for fighting, but not being treated like this... and demons...?”

Malori felt her anger increase when one of the female demons glanced over at her with glazed eyes. ‘ _Slaves!_ ’ Malori realized at once. ‘ _They’re using slaves to fight!_ ’ Her body moved before she could stop herself, Leora’s grip on her wrist being slung off. Walking to the front of the group, she stood before them sternly.

Confusion came over the patrol at first, stopping in their tracks before the girl wearing royal clothing. After a few seconds of whispering, one of the higher ups came from the back. “What the hell is going on here!?” Leora ran towards Malori as well, standing next to her while giving her a stern look. “Princess Leora? And... Malori!?”

Leora’s breath caught in shock. “Keisu?” 

The red headed woman pushed past the group to stand before the princess and her daughter. “I thought so. Who else would have the courage to stand before a battalion?” She opened her arms for Malori. “A hug for your mother?”

Before Malori could open her mouth, a shout from the back of the line drew their attention. “General! The Beastmaster followed us! She’s attacking the cargo unit!”

Keisu cursed under her breath. “Of course. Malori, time to show your mother what you’re made of. Let’s go!” To Leora’s horror, the adult grabbed Malori’s wrist and pulled her along with the scrambling unit heading back out of the gates from which they had just come. 

“Not good...” Leora quickly tailed them through the confusion of the crowd scrambling to get clear of the chaos. When she exited the gates, her eyes saw a small battlefield before her. Demon and human clashed blades and fists, with the odd magic spell cast between. “By the gods...”

“Cerberus!” Fenn’s voice came over the screams of the fighting. “Free the slaves!”

In a blur of motion, a humanoid figure dashed through the field. Blue hair, wolf ears, golden eyes, and an enraged look on his face. His form stopped in the midst of the terrified group bound together and his clawed hands began slashing and ripping apart the ropes that tied them. 

One of the humans that was freed, grabbed a sword and instantly began to help, cutting loose a demon that had been roped to him. “Go, get back to your family!”

“I’m not leaving after you saved me out there!” The two met each other’s eyes and nodded. “For the demon queen!”

“For Velverosa!”

Malori couldn’t help the smirk coming to her face. ‘ _Shermont is doing my job for me._ ’ Ducking through the crowd, she began to help free the slaves, holding a finger to her lips when one looked at her in shock. The mage cut the rope with a stolen dagger and stood, only to be grabbed from behind by strong arms. “Nghh!?”

“Wait! She helped me!”

Malori turned to look into almost glowing, yellow, slitted eyes. Her voice still wouldn’t come, her magic failing to form at her commands. ‘ _Oh man, don’t let it end like this! I still want to have sex with Queen Vel’s tail before I die!_ ’ As the thought went through her mind, a sudden explosion of water fell onto them from above. The force separated the two and made the girl slide along the ground in a mix of sludge and mud. ‘ _Hope she didn’t want this dress back..._ ’

“Malori!” Leora’s voice came as she lowered her hands, water dripping from the blue summoning circle before them. “What are you _doing!?_ ” Her attention was quickly diverted by two humanoid demons that recognized her as the princess and promptly attacked.

Keisu pulled her daughter to her feet with a snarl. “I could ask the same thing. Freeing the prisoners after they declared their allegiance to the demon queen?” A stern look went down to her daughter. “Guess you never learned your lesson, did you?”

Malori’s eyes widened, waist twisting from the grip and leg kicking up. Her ankle was grabbed from the air, and before she could react, her body flung around and slammed face first into the muck below. All the air left her lungs and when trying to gasp, she got mostly murky water. Couch after couch came as she weakly pushed herself up, only to be kicked to the side. _Weakly she curled into a fetal position, whimpering in pain as she tasted blood flecking her lips. ‘All my powers are locked with my magic..._ ’ 

Purple eyes looked up weakly at Keisu. “I heard about the courageous acts you pulled before your... death. Double crossing the demon army, leaking information...” A small dagger was produced from her boot as she knelt down. “Did you not think I wouldn’t recognize my own offspring, General M?”

The glint of steel in the sunlight flashed as it flew through the air, landing several feet away. Cerik crouched over Malori on all fours, his yellow eyes narrowed, ears back and tail flared out. A harsh growl came deep from within his throat 

“Che...” Keisu jumped back twice to gain distance.

Fenn’s voice came next. “Cerberus, good job.” A blue leash of energy went from Cerik’s neck to the beastkin’s hand.

“Aghnn..?” Malori looked up weakly and was quickly scooped up into Cerik’s arms to be cradled bridal style. 

Leora held up her hands, making a wall of rock appear between Fenn and the two friends. The blue leash broke and Cerik roared out again in rage. “Malori! Malori!!”

Cerik hunched over, clutching the girl in his arms to his chest. “Mal...ri...?”

Quickly Leora began to move her hands again, drawing a circle in the air. The lines began to connect and mud rose up to her call. “Earth below, submit to my will. Form the pact of a golem and bring my bride back to me!”

The mud golem took two steps before it blew apart to reveal a muk covered Fenn in its place. The back of her hands wiped her face and she looked back over her shoulder. “Cerberus!” The leash of energy was made again and Cerik’s body calmed once more. “Take her to-” Words cut off as her body was suddenly wrapped in a ball of mud.

“Give me back my lover!” Leora’s scream carried over the battlefield, her mana crest glowing bright. Several golems began to rise up from the ground, the mud making it easier to pull together. “I’m not letting anyone take her from me!”

The battle seemed to almost come to a standstill as golem after golem appeared between the warring factions. The one causing it was panting hard, eyes dilated, and turning around to look in different directions while staggering over to where Cerik and Malori were. “She’s mine... She’s mine...” The field went silent seconds before she felt something behind her. A soft collision came and she fumbled back before turning around. The one that caused the silence was before her, making the girl tilt her head back to see the full figure of Velverosa before her.

“Princess Leora,” the queen spoke, voice carrying like it was amplified over the warzone. “You fought valiantly, but the battle ends here.”

“No... No!” Leora reared her hands back and pushed them forward, golems all moving forward at once. Vel reacted calmly, grabbing the wrists before her with one hand and spinning Leora around to pull against her body. With the princess out of harm’s way, her other hand reached out before her. At once most everyone ducked to the ground to avoid the barrage of magic and exploding debris of the golems being destroyed. 

Blue eyes softened, tears starting to leak from them. “No... no... Don’t take her... don’t take her from me... I just got her back... I just got her...”

Velverosa looked over her shoulder, verifying that Fenn had control of Cerik once more and that Malori was in his arms. “Take her to the tower.”

“No!” Leora struggled in vain, body squirming harshly in the grasp. “No! Malori! Malori!” Her words began to get tinged with salt, as tears finally spilled from her eyes. “Please! I’ll do anything! Anything!”

“Sleep.” Vel’s word instantly made Leora go limp in her arms. Catching her, she scooped her up to hold much like Cerik did Malori. “This fight is over!” She announced to the people still there. “The slaves forced to fight against my army are now under my protection! If you have a problem with that, come to me now. The rest of you, retreat to your quarters!” Standing her ground, she watched as the people cowered before her and did as they were told. 

One knight approached her, taking off his helmet and letting it drop to reveal his face. Vel met his eyes and looked at him as if demanding to know what he wanted. “Queen Velverosa...” He swallowed thickly. “My name is Liam McHowl... Sworn knight of the holy throne since my youth... I came here to find Leora and protect her...” He stood to his full height and pushed his fear down. “I request that you unhand the princess without resistance.”

“You... request?” Vel asked, amused.

The man nodded once. “I do not wish to use force to retrieve her, as you do not seem to mean ill intent. If we can avoid bloodshed, I would like to avoid causing you harm.”

Vel smiled at him. “Of course! Put like that, I’ll hand her right over.” Holding out Leora, she waited for him to accept her, before lashing out her tail and making him fly back several feet before rolling on the ground to a stop. “Heh, you really think I’ll hand over this little mouse to a garden of snakes? Tell your king to come to my tower, alone, at moonrise if he wants her.” With those words, Velverosa flung the princess over her shoulder and shifted to her dragon form, carrying her off.

~**~

Malori looked around the room as she was finally sat down. The person that had been carrying her stood close, eyes glaring. ‘ _I guess my passive charm abilities are gone as well…_ ’ Malori tried her best to smile at him, only to be growled at.

“That’s enough Cerberus,” Fenn’s voice came soothingly, the leash connecting them again. “It’s time for you to change back.” Walking past the boy as he knelt down, she placed both hands onto Malori’s shoulders. “It really is you?” She got a little nod of the head before a groan came from behind them. “Ah, Malori, That was Cerik by the way.”

“M…Mal!?” Cerik stumbled a few steps over to his friend, still trying to clear his head of his transformation form. “Malori… Malori!?” Getting closer, the two reached out only for the male to smack her upside the head. “You little shit, you know how worried I was!? I tried to kill the freaking king! Why do you keep doing this to me!?”

“Argh!” The mage glared at him harshly, mouth opening a few times but no words coming out.

“Seriously…” The tone of Cerik’s voice made the anger fall from Malori all at once. “I thought… you were really dead…” His arms reached out again, this time embracing her close. “Damn it… I wanted to make you proud of me… I must look so lame right now…” His voice broke as he cradled her cheek to his neck.

Fenn looked to the side, trying to act like she wasn’t seeing the two best friends crying over each other. “That idiot drank Wolfthorn when you died… Because it was an altered potion to help my transformation, it put him into a full beast mode instead of just making him look like one.” She noticed that Malori was looking at her while hugging Cerik, so she gave a small sigh before continuing. “Long story short, he went berserk… He can control when he changes now, but as long as he is in his beast form, he will only listen to commands from me.”

Cerik shifted so he could kiss Malori’s forehead softly, ignoring the warm tears that they both had on their cheeks. “Don’t let it go to your head, I know you’d do the same if I died, right?” He got a small laugh mixed with a hiccup due to their crying, followed by a few small nods with a smile. “But that’s for later… How are you? Do you hurt? You’ve been so quiet…?”

Before anything could be explained, the door opened to reveal Velverosa carrying Leora. “Fenn,” her words made the general run to her and accept the sleeping girl. “Take her to Faust so he can give her a checkup; I think she was injured. I put her under my sleeping spell so she shouldn’t cause any problems. Cerik,” she motioned with her hand to him. “Tell Melathia to prepare my troops for any invading forces. The king will be here tonight and I don’t want any stealth attacks. He isn’t to be attacked, he is coming for his daughter. Malori, come with me.”

Being pulled by the wrist, the mage stumbled alongside Vel’s steps. The queen’s room wasn’t too far off and as soon as they were inside, the doors closed with a clicking sound. Silence hung over them for a few moments before arms slowly wrapped around the mage’s body from behind. “Malori...”

A small nod answered the unspoken question and soon she found herself falling to her knees along with her queen. “It’s really you...” Pulling her mate close, she held the girl tightly. She felt Malori shift in her arms, hugging her back as best she could in the position. A shaky breath came paired with a kiss to the temple. Soon another breath was taken and a small gasp followed it when she kissed along the girl’s cheek. Before long she curled herself around the girl in her arms, tail snaking around to embrace her fully. 

“Malori… Gods, Malori… I thought I lost you…” Velverosa’s voice began to tremble, hands holding the girl close to her chest. A sniff came and soon a small, repressed whine followed it. When the gasp for air was broken and shaking, Malori finally realized what was going on.

Velverosa was crying.

Although she had a handful of people shed tears over her return from death’s gate, this was the first time that her heart felt like it was being torn from her chest because of it. Her body was completely swaddled by her mate, tail taking up the room that couldn’t be covered by arms or legs. Warmth came in the form of dampness in her hair, accented by soft sniffs and shaking breathing. 

“It was so hard not to destroy everything,” Velverosa spoke softly. Unlike her usual prideful words of destruction and chaos, these were more reserved, calm even. “When Cerik told me that the king had slain you... I... I almost threw everything away.” Her hug shifted so she could turn Malori in her arms and look at her. “I was ready to go to war, to burn cities to the ground in your name...”

Shaking her head, Vel brushed some hair behind Malori’s ear. “But Cerik, that idiot friend of yours, stood before me...” A scoff came at the memory. “He yelled at me that doing so would only belittle your efforts, that ruining what you worked for would be the worst thing I could do in your name. I killed him, of course.” Vel grinned without humor. “But he came back, pretty pissed off, and swore himself to me. It was enough to make me snap out of my rage and...” Her eyes looked away.

‘ _That’s why she didn’t destroy anything..._ ’ Malori smiled at the thought. ‘ _Once Cerik calmed her down, she became like this, didn’t she? Vel, you were mourning me._ ’ Hands moved up to caress the cheeks of the demon queen. With gentle pressure she pulled the woman’s face down enough to place a loving kiss onto her lips for several long seconds. As they parted, Malori offered an apologetic look to her.

“...What? Say something!” Velverosa averted her eyes again, cheeks a dark red. “I spilled my heart here, at least commend me for it!” The mage shifted in her lap, fumbling to reach into a pocket of her mud stained clothing. Soon a pen was taken and she held it up to write in the air, a nervous look on her face. _I can’t speak or use magic anymore._

Velverosa could only stare at the words written before her in a stunned silence. Her mate, one of the only humans to ever be able to battle with her for longer than a few minutes, to stand by her side, to advise her and guide her army, charm her generals and worm her way into the highest ranks possible... was now a regular human girl.

“...Nothing?” Vel asked softly, hand touching the mage’s cheek. A soft shake of the head came. “Is that the price you paid for being brought back to life?” She watched Malori lean up to kiss her one more time before finally leaving the embrace. Standing now, words were scribbled into the air once more: _Can I take a bath first?_

“I don’t want to wait.” Standing, Vel lifted her hand with her palm up. “Hold your breath, Malori.” Before her mate could even reply, a gush of water erupted from the floor. The stream encircled her rapidly while lifting the poor girl off her feet to float several inches off the ground. Moments later the water shattered into droplets and a gale of air spun her around rapidly before dropping her back onto her butt, now clean and completely naked. “Your clothes were in the way so I just destroyed them.”

‘ _You just wanted me out of Leora’s clothing...’_ Malori tried to stand but quickly stumbled to the side, dizzy from the ordeal. A few seconds passed and she found a robe over her shoulders. Although it was several sizes too large for her, the scent of her mate brought instant comfort to her senses.

“You’re forbidden to wear her clothes,” Vel commanded in a soft but stern whisper. As the words were said, a collar was smoothly placed around the girl’s neck. “You’re my pet and my mate, so you will only be that close to me...” Deft fingers secured the clasp behind the mage’s neck and sealed it with magic so it couldn’t be undone. “You’re bound to me, Malori... I won’t let that brat interfere.” With her magic finished, she left a beautifully designed black and red collar around Malori’s neck, complete with a gem adorning the front of it with etched dragon language inside that proclaimed her property of the dragon queen.

Malori had to take a breath to steady herself. ‘ _Queen Vel’s possessive side is still too much to handle!_ _Settle down, me!”_ Holding a hand over her heart, she tried to calm herself down enough to write down what had happened to her while unconscious. Despite her best efforts though, seeing a golden leash connect the gem of her new collar to Vel’s hand made all reason leave her mind. ‘ _Explanations later. Sex now._ ’

As if reading her mind, Velverosa made her way to her bed. The leash pulling her mate along next to her, and soon Malori found herself on her back. Crawling over her lover, Vel looked down at the human girl under her. ‘ _She lost her strength, I can tell._ ’ Pushing Malori’s wrists down onto the mattress, she watched as violet eyes widened in shock from the force. ‘ _It feels like I could snap her wrists if I didn’t pay close enough attention._ ’

Leaning over, kisses began to trail up along the small shoulder and towards the curve of the neck. A long tongue began to draw along freshly washed skin, mouth pressing onto it to suck and nip at her, to tease the masochistic nature of her partner. What met her ears, however, was anything but the usual sexual groan she was expecting.

“Nghh!?” Malori pushed as hard as she could against Vel, trying in vain to get the demon queen off of her. “Ahhh!”

The familiar metallic taste of blood tainted the kiss, and the demon queen pulled back. A few drops fell onto the soft skin of her lover, more by the wound she had inflicted on the shoulder. ‘ _I didn’t even actually bite her!_ ’ A heal spell soothed the wound and calmed down the panting mage. “Malori… I don’t think your body is able to have sex right now.”

Glaring up at her queen, she grabbed Vel’s shoulders and lurched to the side to fling her over. When the first attempt didn’t succeed, she tried again with a grunt of effort. Finally she glared at the amused look she was getting and made a motions with her hands.

“You want me to roll over?” Vel got a nod. A sigh was repressed and the queen simply fell onto her back beside her. Malori climbed on top of her and pushed down the large wrist next to Velverosa’s head. With a blank look, golden eyes simple gazed at her. “…Please tell me you’re not trying to top me.”

Malori nodded, a determined look on her face. “Mmmn!”

“Oh please,” Vel rolled her eyes and sighed out. “Do you honestly think I’ll bottom to a mere human?” To her amusement, Malori moved some of her hair out of the way and pointed to her horns. “Oh, a half demon in puberty, that’s right.” A smirk came to her lips when her lover growled at her. ‘ _This is fun… But I can’t help but notice she lost her pheromones as well… She really did have everything locked away from her._ ’

Malori felt a tug at her neck and realized that Vel was pulling on her with the magical leash connected to her new accessory. “Mmnn!?” A feeling of warmth came over her as lips pressed together, one hand now reaching under her body to grope at her swaying breast. ‘ _Even if I’m on top, she’s still in control..._ ’ The idea, though not what she had intended, was still hot. 

Velverosa opened her eyes from the kiss and looked at the girl over her. “If you want to be on top, I’ll let you, but I’ll still lead.” Scooting back, she propped herself up at an angle with the help of multiple pillows near the head of the mattress. With that, she encouraged her pet to crawl up her body again on all fours, violet eyes looking slightly upwards at the taller woman now, thanks to the new position. “I just had a wonderful idea...”

A gasp came along with the feeling of the large robe shifting from the mage’s rear. Velverosa’s tail was snaking under the fabric, lifting it up until the tip of it slid out by the nape of Malori’s neck. Before she had a chance to react, she felt her arms being lifted and pulled back along with the weight of her body. The tail was lifting her, allowing Vel to reach over and mess with the fabric. With a twist, she bent the girl’s arms behind her back and secured them there with the drawstring of the robe, binding her in a tangled mess of clothing that prevented her from moving.

“There. I think that will suffice for now.” The queen’s words came paired with the tail sliding back slowly.

“Mmmnnn...” Malori looked up helplessly, unable to do much of anything except lay on her mate’s larger body. Violet eyes met gold and a whimper of submission was all it took for Vel to lose herself in the mood.

‘ _Even if she’s weak... even if she can no longer satisfy my stronger cravings... This stupid girl has submitted to me, and I’ll never leave her._ ’ Both hands held onto the smaller girl’s body, arranging her so she was straddling the queen and leaning forward so they were almost nose to nose. “If it hurts, let me know.” Vel’s words were suddenly soothing, accented by a kiss onto the earlobe.

‘ _What does she mean?_ ’ Malori’s thoughts quickly turned to understanding when the tip of Vel’s tail began to slide up and down between her legs. Looking into her mate’s eyes, she felt the realization sink in with every passing second. Bound up, naked under the robe doubling as the bondage material, and being teased by something that could very easily be substituted in for pleasurable results.

The leash was pulled slightly, just enough to make the girl remember it was there. Cheeks darkened as blood rushed to her face, body beginning to find the rhythm being set be her queen. Her lower folds were being pushed against, slid over, teased relentlessly by the agile and surprisingly dexterous tail of her lover. The tip was running the length of her lips, prodding at the entrance, toying with her sensitive nub.

Velverosa just looked down in amusement at the wide variety of faces Malori was making at her. From eyes being tightly closed, to mouth open and drooling on herself, the mage was giving a show all on her own. Each flick of her tail sent the girl into a fit of motions, the most pleasurable ones being when she was penetrated ever so slightly. That look of anticipation on the redhead’s face was so alluring, Vel couldn’t help feeling her heartbeat picking up at just the sight of it. ‘ _I almost lost this…_ ’

Hands caressed Malori’s cheeks, urging her to lift up enough so the two could kiss once more. Tongues sought out each other at once, gentle wet sounds coming from their mouths coming between breaths of air. The mage broke the kiss first, body going taut for just a few seconds before almost falling limp as she was finally entered into intentionally.

“Mnnghh…” Hot breath played out against Vel’s neck, as the tail began to slip back and forth in a careful pace. The mage’s body twitched, arms struggling against the binds keeping them restricted behind her back. “Fwah!” A loud gasp broke gentleness of the motions and the pace increased. Purple and gold met once again, the two gazing at each other deeply. Even if she couldn’t speak, the look was enough to portray the emotions being felt. ‘ _I love you._ ’

“My mate,” Vel’s words were soft, their foreheads resting against each other again. She could feel herself shaking, the strong resolve that she had nurtured all of her life crumbling to the emotions running through her in the moment. The way she met Malori came back to her mind. Insistent, annoying, bothersome, and above all else, frustrating. Despite the troubles, their relationship had bloomed into a friendship, a working relationship, and a deep trust.

Just a few weeks ago they had their first intimate moments. Kissing, touching, and to her insistence, sexual contact. It had lit a fire in her, a new reason to keep going. Even when she couldn’t expect any more from Malori, the mage had begun to turn demonic, her body changing to match her feelings. They became mates, loves, a mistress and her pet. Now…

Malori was breathing harder, body sweating as she tried to keep herself up along Vel’s body. Each thrust of the tail’s tip into her made her whole being sway forward before falling back to be at its mercy once more. The violet eyes were still gazing upwards through half lidded eyes. Passion, desire, longing, submission, trust, all the emotions that she gave so freely to Vel were clear in them.

Strong arms held onto the girl, pulling her up and close to the demon queen’s frame. “I’ll never let you go again.” A promise was whispered down into the mage’s ear softly. Malori gasped out, half from the sweet words, and half from the increased pace of the tail pleasuring her. Unable to speak, she could only open her mouth and pant, eyes wide, as she felt her orgasm approaching. “I’ll love you forever,” Vel’s voice came again as her mouth moved closer. “My mate.”

As lips met hers, Malori felt her world turn into a euphoric bliss. Every muscle in her body seemed to want to contract and twitch at the same time, turning her knees to jelly and making her collapse onto the woman making love to her. Still, the waves of her body blitz washed over her, bringing with it a dizzying feeling of emotions and satisfaction.

When the tail finally slid from her, the mage could only lay on her mate, arms now free to embrace. Soft traces came down her back from fingertips, soothing words being whispered into her ear. With the peace of finally being back where she belonged, Malori fell asleep with a loving smile on her face.


	10. Balance

Looking over at the girl lying next to me, I couldn’t help but feel anger rising deep inside of myself. Although Malori had been showing signs of being corrupted, I hadn’t even bothered to question it, let alone make sure that she would be alright in the long run. In my dreams she had been demonic, so seeing it while awake was… pleasing. I had ignored the possible side effects it might have on her and embraced her for everything good it could offer me. Now she was paying for it, somehow punished for being revived as an adventurer even though she had demonic taint in her. Lifting my hand, I focused on my mate, casting scanning magic over her sleeping form to try and figure out exactly what was going on with her.

**Seeking X**

**By: Satashi**

Velverosa looked at the screen hovering before her while thoughtfully tapping her chin with a finger. Malori was still fast asleep next to her, breathing steadily while recovering from the round of passionate sex they just had. The demon queen seems unphased, however, and was focused on the stats before her. ‘ _Her race is demi human,_ ’ Vel mused while reading. ‘ _Level: ninety-five, status: cursed, befuddled. Title: Locked, Demon General.’_

A long hum came as she thought about what the new information could mean. ‘ _She has her powers still, but they’re locked away from her with a curse… If that is the case, there should be a trigger to unlock them, some way to undo the curse._ ’ One of her hands finger combed the red hair on the girl’s head, a small smile coming to the mage’s lips for her efforts. ‘ _That makes sense, the fundamental form of magic is that the power will always be able to be there if the person is able to use it… Wait a moment._ ’

Scanning the girl again, golden eyes checked for the mana reserves in the body. ‘ _She barely has any mana in her body… but we’re not draining her. The mana tree isn’t feeding her?_ ’ The hand on Malori’s body moved to caress a horn. ‘ _Right… If she is part demon…_ ’

Malori shifted in the bed and reached up to sleepily grasp the hand caressing her. “Mmmmn?” Tired, purple eyes blinked a few times to make Vel come into focus and a happy blush began to streak across her nose. It took more effort than she cared to admit to sit up in bed and rub the sleepiness from her eyes. When she could, the magical feather pen was sought out and words were written before herself once more: _How long was I out?_

“Not an hour,” Vel answered easily. “I took the time to run some scans on you. If you have any knowledge on what happened, it would really help.” Before Malori could start writing a reply, a knock came at the door. “Enter.”

Malori dove under the covers as a servant came into the room. “Queen Velverosa, Leora has awoken. Mister Cerik is with her, but she requests your presence.”

Vel scoffed. “Tell her I’m too busy with Malori to pay attention to her needs. She can wait.” Immediately she got a glare from violet eyes peeking from the covers, but the queen didn’t budge. “Dismissed.”

The redhead shifted, pen scribbling again. _“Leora is here!?”_

“Ah. I kidnapped her after she went crazy trying to get you back.” Velverosa waved it off. “I’m going to exchange her to the king tonight for a favor. Right now, I’m more concerned about you. Tell me everything you know.”

Knowing she wouldn’t win this argument, Malori simply sighed. Paper was gathered and soon she wrote everything she could remember from her dream onto it. Vel observed it with a frown, her golden eyes narrowed at the way her pet had been treated. “I see,” her words finally came. “That would explain the curse status. May I see your candy?”

Malori did as requested, letting her spheres be scanned over. A scoff came and after a look, Velverossa explained. “They won’t give me any information. To be expected of a deity, but it still pisses me off. What we need to focus on now is finding out how to-” A loud rumbling sound made her sigh out. “I swear, I’m going to murder that princess if she summoned a golem in my tower.” At her words, several yells from random demons, as well as from an explosion, rang out down the hallway. “That’s it! I’m done with her! She’s dead!”

With a quick motion, Malori latched onto Vel’s arm. A shake of her head made the dragoness growl out angrily but still give in. “Fine! But I’m still pissed. Get dressed in your general robes, we will have to face the king soon.” With that said, Vel stormed from the room. ‘ _I can’t believe this is the second time I let that half pint, no good, snot nosed, bitch of a princess in my tower!_ ’

Vel kicked the door open to Leora’s room and immediately blasted a small golem to bits when it attacked her. Leora was barely standing, several summoning circles around her and a few demons giving her more of a battle than she could handle. “I have this!” The words made her subordinates back off so she could stand before the human. “Princess Leora.”

“Queen Velverossa,” Leora glared up at her. “I want my bride!”

Vel’s hand slapped the girl clean off her feet in one quick motion. “You have no right to make demands of me, Princess. You are not here as a guest this time; you are my prisoner.” Her gaze fixated on the girl as she forced herself to stand again. “If you talk out of line again, I’ll do more than slap that pretty face of yours. Am I clear?”

Anger rose up on Leora’s face, but she bit down her thoughts in favor of wording them differently. “Yes, your highness.” With a sickening bow, she continued. “May I inquire about the whereabouts of the mage Malori Crowett, Queen Velverossa?”

“That’s more like it.” Vel crossed her arms. “She is under my care. I have fought her enough times to know not to anger her unless needed, so I will deal with her separately. Your father will be here to barter for your freedom soon. You should focus on yourself.”

“Ugh...” Blue eyes averted, anger barely being held in check. “She was put in my care, so I-”

“That doesn’t matter to me.” Velverossa cut off Leora sharply. “You don’t have any reason to be with Malori!”

“She’s my future wife!”

“The hell she is!” Vel let her emotions show through. The moment she realized her mistake, she turned her back on the blonde. “Che. This conversation bores me.” Across the room the door opened to reveal Malori in her royal demonic robes. Her hood was up, mask on, covering most every trace of her identity. “General M, prepare the prisoner. The king should be here soon.” Walking by, she rubbed the bridge of her nose.

Malori simply nodded, keeping her head low. ‘ _I have to make Leora think that I’m still working as a double agent for her side..._ ’ Handcuffs were taken from her robe and Leora’s slim wrists were bound behind her back. A push made her walk forward but blue eyes looked back at her nervously. “Shh.” Malori hushed her instead, nodding forward. ‘ _This is so confusing, I don’t even know what’s going on anymore! Vel knows I’m on her side but still am in contact with the humans. Leora thinks I’m a double agent for the humans and that Vel hates me...Vel knows I’m general M and so does Leora, but Leora doesn’t know that Vel knows that she knows and I know... Ahhh!’_

Shaking her head, she tried to get everything together while walking down the tower. ‘ _And the king knows about me being a demon charmer and Leora told me she told him about me being a double agent, so he knows I work for Vel, but not that I’m general M? Or does he know that too? In that case, Vel doesn’t know that he knows, so when I show up now, will it be bad? Oh crap, will this make the king and princess think I’m fully on the demon side!? What do I do!?_ _This can’t get any more complicated at all!’_

“Lady Malori, welcome back!” A pooka greeted cheerfully as it hugged her leg. “We missed you!”

The trio stopped walking at once. ‘ _When will I learn not to think that...?_ ’ Malori slowly leaned down and pet the pooka a few times before scooting him on his way. She caught Vel’s amused face and knew at once that she was curious how the situation would be handled. With a sigh, the hood was pulled back but the mask was untouched. A hard shove from the back made Leora step forward unsteadily and start walking again. The action earned her a proud look from Vel and a sympathetic one from Leora. ‘ _Why me...?_ ’

“Oh, Lady Malori!” The pooka turned and hopped in place. “Please be sure to rest, going through puberty is hard on the body!” Leora looked at her fiancée, who was turning several shades of red. When no words could be formed to defend herself, Malori instead just nudged the girl on her way, refusing to make eye contact anymore.

The appointed meeting time came with anxiety for the mage. As the moon began to rise over the forest, the three stood before the tower gates. Sounds of horse hooves galloping came to their ears and soon Albert emerged from the tree line. He was covered in his royal armor, his sword by his side, and a white flag trailing above him to show that he didn’t intend to fight. The man stopped a distance away to dismount and stand by his steed. “Queen Velverosa, I come at your call to bargain!”

“Approach, king of Folstina!” Velverosa called back to him.

Albert began to walk forward, his strides unwavering. “I trust my daughter is uninjured?”

“She’ll be fine,” the queen replied easily. “To business. In return for your daughter, I want you to give me the capital of this continent.”

Albert looked as if it were the most ludicrous thing he had ever heard. “Impossible! As a ruler yourself, you know such a thing is outside of my control. Even if I made a decree of abandonment, the capital would resist you as they are now.”

The demon queen smirked. “Good reply, King.”

Albert stayed silent a moment before scoffing. “You dare test my resolve when you have my daughters!?”

An eyebrow arched. “Daughters?”

“I came to negotiate for both Leora and Malori.”

Leora felt Malori’s grip on her arm flinch. “Daddy...?”

“Malori belongs to me, and I will not tolerate her name being mentioned again.” Velverosa’s tail snapped out behind her, digging a trench several inches into the ground from her anger.

Albert didn’t back down from her. “As much as she hunts you, why not be free from the girl’s actions? Give her to me and I will assure you she will no longer raid your tower.”

Malori moved to step forward but found Vel’s tail whipping to keep her in place. “You’re testing my patience. If you keep insisting on bringing up the mage, I’ll have my general break your daughter’s arms.”

Albert stood firm. “Malori’s freedom is part of the deal.”

“General M, break her arm.”

“Daddy!” Leora’s voice broke as her arm was gripped firmly from behind. She felt the mage pull her harshly, shifting her stance to keep her firmly in place. Several seconds went by as they struggled before something became very clear. ‘ _She’s not actually going to hurt me! Daddy knew it was Malori!'_

Velverosa looked over her shoulder after a few moments only to see Malori slump forward in defeat. “Oh come on!” The words were exasperated and annoyed. “You could heal her afterwards you know!” She got an apologetic smile. “Seriously...”

Malori reached around Leora and scribbled her pen in the air, knowing the gig was up. _Peace?_

“...I’m trusting you, Malori.” Velverosa turned to Albert and stepped closer to him. “You killed my mate and left her in limbo for seven days before she came back to me. When I got my hands on your daughter, I wanted nothing more than to snap her neck in retaliation... I wanted to burn your kingdom...” Stopped so she was toe to toe with the king, she looked down at him while he glared right back up at her. “Instead, I chose to honor her memory with peaceful negotiations and diplomacy... When you got here, I tested your honesty. Now, I will give you something in return. Malori, release Leora.”

Without questioning her mate, Malori undid the cuffs. A gentle nudge and a smile was rewarded with a kiss to the cheek. Leora’s hand carefully removed the mask that Malori wore and kept it with her as she walked over to her father.

“Now...” Keeping herself in check, Velverosa continued. “Drop your sword and you are both welcome to come inside my tower to talk with us. I offer safety and comfort.”

Albert visibly struggled to unbuckle the clasp of his sheath. “I want my daughter to be able to go home safely.”

“No!” Leora’s protest made them both look at her. “I’m staying with Malori. I’m sorry, Daddy... I knew who she was way before you figured it out. I knew this day would come. I’m staying with my bride.”

“Don’t call my _mate_ your bride,” Vel hissed at her angrily. “Or _I_ will be the one to break your arms.”

Albert’s words cut in between them. “Don’t speak to my daughter like that!”

With great effort, Malori pushed in between the group and managed to shove the adults at arm’s length away from each other. They both glared at her for a moment before growling and giving in. ‘ _Ugh, why can’t I talk!? This would be so much easier!_ ’

Upon entering the castle, several demons scattered in the presence of Folstina’s king. When they did, one person was left behind waiting for them. Cerik looked like a kid caught stealing candy, the eyes of the king on him fully. “Cerik!?”

“Uhhhhh.... I came... to find... Malori and... Oh no, is that the demon queen!?” He pointed at Velverosa dramatically. “We should flee before... before....” Silence passed over the group as his shoulders sagged. “Ah man, busted.”

Leora spoke up as the group began to walk together. “Cerik, you’re... part of this too?”

The male met Malori’s eyes, getting the go ahead from her with a single nod. “I’m with Malori. We’re trying to work peace between the nations... which I’m assuming is working out going by what’s going on here?”

Leora gave him a nervous smile. “Yet to be seen, but they’re going to talk.”

The conference room was reached and the two rulers stood at the doors. Gold eyes turned to look at the group with them. “We’re going to negotiate... Cerik, I want you to guard Malori and Princess Leora with your life.”

“My Queen.” Cerik bowed to her.

Leora stepped forward. “Wait, we can’t go in!?”

“Sweetheart,” Albert put a hand on her shoulder. “I want you in my sights, but right now, I have to have my trust in Cerik and Malori... I need to do this. If it gets bad, I don’t want you near.”

A hand gripped Vel’s wrist, Malori’s purple eyes glaring up at her. “No,” Vel stated simply. “You can’t speak, and you can’t fight. If this comes to a battle, I can kill him, but you will be a liability. I need you to be protected.”

‘ _Protected!?_ ’ Violet eyes widened in shock at the word. The giant double doors slowly closed, cutting her off from her mate. ‘ _But... I’m supposed to protect you! Under your wing, by your side!_ ’

“Mal, come on.” Cerik put a hand on her shoulder. “Please fill me in, I’m really worried about you.”

Anger coursed through the mage’s veins as she reached for the door handles. A sharp push confirmed that they were locked in place by a magic spell, keeping her out. Again she tried to force her way in, this time hitting the doors with her shoulder. “Ngh!”

“Malori!” Leora hugged her fiancée close. “Stop it, just let them work it out, okay? I know it's annoying, but we just have to wait.”

‘ _No!_ ’ Malori shook her head. ‘ _I’m not a weak little girl! I don’t need to be protected!_ ’ Shoving both of them off of her, the mage took two steps back. ‘ _I’m the demon queen’s mate, Malori Crowett!_ ’ With a step forward, the redhead twisted on her heel, angrily spinning around to kick the doors. Fire sparked from inside, fueled by her rage, and ignited at her heel. Demonic energy flared around the girl as both doors broke loose and flew into the room to bounce several times before finally crashing against the opposing wall.

Ignoring the sudden burning on her head and lower back, Malori stormed over to Velverosa and glared up at her stunned face. Her pen started scribbling before her, words forming as a small trail of blood dripped from the horns on the mage’s temples as they grew. _I’m your advisor. You WILL listen to me._

With those words hanging in the air for both the king and queen to see, Malori walked to the middle of the long table and allowed a pooka to bring her a chair so she could sit down and cross her arms. Albert looked at her in shock for a moment before slowly turning to Vel, who was still stunned at the back talking she had received. “I think,” the king began. “Malori will be joining us?”

Vel angrily, set back down into her chair, glaring at the girl with a mix of rage from being humiliated in front of her enemy and wanting to pounce the girl and ravish her for being so strong willed and determined. In the end, she finally decided to go with what needed to be done. “King Albert, let me properly introduce my advisor and mate: Malori Crowett.”

Leora’s voice came from the now broken entryway. “She’s my bride, not your mate, you house wrecking demon bitch!”

Cerik wrapped one arm around the princess’ waist and the other over her mouth. “I’ll see her out, Queen Velverosa!” With that, he lifted up the kicking girl and tried his best to ignore the biting on his hand. “You wanna die?” He whispered into her ear roughly. The girl calmed down a little and allowed herself to be carried a little ways down to be shown into a new room. “We can rest here, this is my room.”

“You have your own room!?” Leora turned on the spot, looking up at him. “How long have you been on their side!?”

“Since your father killed my best friend.” Cerik’s words were a little harsh, brown eyes glaring down into blue. “Malori and I have been struggling to work out peace for a while now, but it hasn’t really been working that well.”

Leora looked away from her friend. “All my friends have been working behind the scenes for a better future, and the princess has only been thinking about marriage...”

The male walked to his dresser to pull out some clothes. “The friends you are talking about betrayed that very same princess for their beliefs, you don’t have to feel like you were in the wrong.” Turning back, he offered the robe to her. “Princess Leora, instead of blaming yourself for this, let me ask you a question: Does your father actually let you make decisions?”

“...No?”

Moving through the room, he showed her where she could take a shower to rinse off the battle she had been in earlier. “Does he let you sit in the meetings to decide the outcome of the country?”

“...If I beg, sometimes he does.”

Cerik gave her a soft look. “So then, princess, how are you to think about your people’s future if you’re sheltered from it?” His friend turned from him so as to not have to answer. “When the time came for it, you stood up for what you believe in. You tried to protect those close to you, and you try your best to do what you can with what limited knowledge you have. You’re a good person, Leora.”

“...Cerik.” Looking over her shoulder, she met his eyes with slightly watery blue orbs. “Thank you...”

At once the male blushed and coughed. “H-hey, don’t mention it... you get cleaned up, I’ll go to Malori’s room and grab some of her clothes for you.”

“Uhm...” Leora grabbed his arm when he turned. “Yours may be a bit big, but... I won’t fit her clothes... Can I wear yours?”

“...Mine aren’t fit for a woman such as yourself.”

Leora smiled up at him. “If Malori is going to make me jealous being with that demon, then I’ll make her jealous as well. Maybe seeing me in your clothes will tick her off enough to realize she needs to tell that viper to stay away from her!”

“Yeah, not touching this.” Cerik quickly left the room and closed the door. “I’ll have some clothes for you by the door. I’ll be away, so don’t worry.”

~**~

Cerik hummed to himself as he led Leora down the hallway of the tower. Ahead of him were a few of the generals gathered around each other talking quietly amongst themselves. “What’s going on?” His words made them look over at him. At once he felt Leora cling to his arm and hide just a little bit behind him, looking over his shoulder. “Ah, the princess here is a guest, don’t worry.”

Berkz was the first to speak up. “So it's true, Queen Velverosa really is talking to the king.”

“Seems so,” Cerik nodded. “I’m not sure on the details, though.” He glanced over his shoulder.

Leora sank back a little before speaking up. “They’re negotiating peace, and possibly the surrender of the capital city of the continent here.”

“Says the lady,” Cerik shrugged. “Princess, this is Berkz, Maurik, and Fenn.”

The female of the group stepped over to the pair, hands on her hips and leaning forward. “Is she wearing your clothes?” When Cerik nodded, she growled lightly. “Why?”

Leora glared at the harsh look. “If you recall, you messed up my own clothes so I had to borrow his. Besides, what does it matter?”

Fenn got in her face. “I don’t like his clothes smelling like other women!”

This made Leora coo out, hand covering her mouth. “Oh? You have a certain claim on him?”

“She does not!”  
“He’s my bitch.”

The two’s voices overlapped, both of them turning to glare at each other. Fenn raised her hand to form a leash leading to the collar Cerik wore and pulled him forward to her. “You’re mine! You listen to me, so stay away from this woman!”

Leora pulled him back, angrily talking back to the beastkin. “I don’t know what you’re on about, but Cerik doesn’t belong to anyone. He can do whatever he pleases.” Delicate hands moved to unclasp the collar on her friend.

“Wait!” Cerik took the Princess’ hands and stepped back. “You can’t take it off, I need it.”

“Why!?”

“Because... I need her. When I use my new power, I lose myself... I even almost hurt Malori while transformed... Fenn is my partner.”

“Master,” Fenn corrected.

“Could you not!?” Cerik’s tone actually made Fenn’s ears sink back. “Ah, sorry, I... Ugh, why is it so difficult to introduce people!?”

Maurik shrugged. “Mistress meets the Misses.”

Fenn’s tail puffed out angrily. “Don’t call her that!”

“Don’t call me that!” Leora agreed.

“Don’t call either of them that!” Cerik pleaded.

Velverosa’s voice boomed down the hallway as she came into view with king Albert and Malori. “Could all of you shut up!?” All eyes turned to them as she stormed over. “Leora, you’re free to go.” The blonde instantly started to run over to Malori, only to be plucked up by a tail wrapping around her waist. “You hug my mate and there will be a war,” Vel's voice was stern but her face looked disinterested.

“She’s my _bride_ , and we’ll go to war over it,” Leora shouted back when she was held up in the air to be face to face with the queen. Before any more words could be said, Malori squirmed between them and pushed them both apart, glaring at both. Vel dropped the princess and averted her eyes while Leora fell on her butt and held her tongue.

“Amazing...” Albert praised the girl. “Although I had my fears, I was right to place my trust in you... I’m glad you didn’t betray the kingdom, Malori. Come with us, I would like to discuss the meeting with you farther over breakfast after you have a restful night in your room in the castle.”

Velverosa’s tail snapped against the brick of the tower floor, leaving a clear scratch mark along it. “Generals, prepare the tower for the night. Assure that the king and princess are to be safe. If the king returns, have him escorted to me for delegations. If Leora returns, just ignore her.”

“My queen!?” Fenn looked shocked at the command.

Vel glared over at the blue eyes of the princess. “Listen, brat, try all you want. Seduce her as much as you can... invite her to your bed chambers for all I care. Malori is mine, and a dragon doesn’t give up their possessions. Especially ones they love.” With those words, she turned on her heels to walk away.

“...Malori?” Leora slowly turned to her fiancée. “You’re... coming back with me, right?”

The mage looked up at the girl and then over to the king standing next to her. The past three hours had been spent negotiating terms and conditions to avoid war and find a peaceful way to settle disputes between the demons and humans... and now, within a few seconds, she finally had to make the same choice herself: demon or human.

A few steps were taken to close the distance between the pair. Ever so slowly the redhead took one of Leora’s hands to hold it for a moment. With a small smile she blinked back a few tears and raised her free arm up so she could write five words out before her.

_I love you. I’m sorry._

Carefully she leaned forward and kissed Leora’s cheek gently before she took a step back. With that done, Malori quickly turned and ran down the hallway before her tears could be seen. Leora stood in silence, the words hovering before her with the summoned pen laying on the floor at her feet. Ever so slowly she looked down at her hand and opened it, seeing a white orb of candy engraved with a golden angel wing laying on her palm.


	11. Dragons

Love and affection were things that Velverosa had been spoiling me with lately. Hugs, sharing a bed, sex, moving me into the tower permanently, all of these things were to show me how much she cared. At the same time, she was still the demon queen; the woman that stole my heart with her power and attitude. The first side of the coin that I saw was the snarl, the blazing fire, the screams of anger as she attacked me. Now I was getting them again… only this time, she was holding back for my safety. Honestly, this aggravated me to no end.

**Seeking XI**

**By: Satashi**

“Pull from within!” Velverosa’s words came along with several arcane spears being thrown at Malori. The mage was panting and bleeding, a shield trying desperately to block the incoming attacks. Sparks flew thick as the weapons skidded across the surface of the barrier, the sounds of screeching energy filling the air as more projectiles came one after the other. “I’m not even using ten percent!”

‘ _I know that!_ ’ Malori screamed in her mind furiously. A weak spear of her own was created in her hands and thrown, only to fizzle out after a few feet. Her queen sped forward and landed before her, breaking the shield and grabbing the enchanted clothing Malori wore. The mage’s feet dangled under her, both arms going to grip the wrist of the hand holding her to struggle. “Ngghh! Ughhnn!”

“If you only call your flame from anger and desperation, then you’ll never win a fight.” Vel’s words were firm, her eyes narrowed. A dragon never shares their secrets or their treasure with anyone unless they were bound to them for life, so watching Malori struggle with her magic was infuriating in its own way. “You chose this path, so I won’t let you slack on it! Again!”

Purple eyes narrowed, a fist moving to punch her mate and send a small explosion through it as well. She was dropped onto her feet but was quickly tripped with a tail. Balance lost, she stumbled backwards and had to once again try desperately to form broken and almost useless shields to block attacks. “Confidence!” Vel’s words snapped her focus back. “You’re a demi-dragon! Feel your power! You’re strong even without mana! Pull your flame!”

Gasping, Malori felt the weight of her tired muscles pulling her down. ‘ _I can’t... I can’t... Everything I know comes from mana... my magic... my strength.... all my abilities..._ ’ Shields broken, the mage was flung back against a wall of the castle training room.

“Is this the best my mate can do?” Vel asked snarkily. Malori’s eyes widened, mouth opening as she inhaled. The burning rage fueled the fire inside of herself, forming the ball of energy before her lips only to be snuffed out when she was once again lifted into the air. “Rage won’t give you the power you need.” Vel’s voice was soft now, signaling the end of their training session. “Pride, my mate. Don’t let words like that make you angry, let them remind you of your pride. Remember the feelings you had when you first said you were to stand by me... That will give you what you need to cast again.”

“...Mmmn.” A slow nod came in return as a healing spell washed over her body. It had been a week since she ate the devil candy but her training was going slower than she had wanted it to. Despite getting the title of a demi-dragon, her status when being scanned still showed the majority of herself being locked behind a curse. Her hard work and efforts were starting to pay off but she could tell that she was still being held back by Mana’s grasp on her energy. 

“My Queen!” A servant’s voice called out to the pair from the entryway. “Our sensors have picked up Princess Leora walking in the woods on her way to the tower. Should we intercept?”

Velverosa growled deep in her throat. “That idiot! Just because I allow her to talk in her father’s place here, doesn’t mean she won’t die along the way! Send Fenn to fetch her!” Malori patted her arm and pointed to herself instead. “You?” A nod answered her. “...No. Fenn can grab her.” She got a glare, which she returned. “Don’t give me that look, Mate. I have an army that protects me, yet I don’t feel like I’m weaker for it.” Vel’s hand reached over to cup Malori’s cheek. “I will protect you, just as you protected me as my general.”

A sigh left the girl’s lips and a nod followed. The training session was done and Malori moved to head back to her room to change back into her usual clothing. Once there she hesitated a moment and went one door farther down. The entrance gave to her push and soon she found Cerik, busy doing chin-ups on the equipment he had in his room.

“Hey Mal...” Cerik grunted out one final motion and let himself drop. A towel was caught gratefully and the sweat was wiped from his face and shirtless body. “What brings you by? Finish training already?” His brown eyes followed his friend over to his desk where she fumbled for something to write on. “I have some pens on the side, just write on anything there.”

A few moments passed and soon Malori turned a notebook around to reveal the writing for Cerik to read. “...Leora is on her way?” A nod answered him along with some more writing. “And _Fenn_ is going to get her!? Oh hell!” The male quickly pulled up his inventory and yanked out some clothing. “I don’t want those two alone!” He caught the cat-like grin on his friend’s face and instantly growled at her. “Don’t give me that!” A shrug came. “You don’t need to talk; I know what you’re thinking!”

With a scoff, Cerik began to run from his room, Malori hot on his heels. “You know the queen hates it when you go into the forest, Mal!” The smug look he got in return made the intentions crystal clear. “You little... you’re using me!” His best friend jumped onto his back, clinging tightly as he used one of the teleporters to swiftly get to the first floor. “If she gets pissed, you better stand up for me!” Despite his words he still allowed the girl time to hop from him and catch up before the two sped off into the woods.

It only took a few minutes for the two to stumble upon the girls in the forest. The best friends ducked behind some bushes, much to Malori’s insistence, and looked on. Leora and Fenn were standing face to face with not much distance between them. Tension was noticeably high, the beastkin’s ears laying back and a frown on her face. 

“You really don’t have any sense,” Fenn’s words were slightly hostile sounding. “Queen Velverosa told us to ignore you in the tower, but that doesn’t mean anything out here in the forest. You could be hunted or killed out here.”

“I can take care of myself!” Leora fumed at the indirect insult against her strength. “You’ve seen me fight before; you know I’m strong.”

“All you do is hide behind creatures you summon!” Fenn countered easily. “I beat you down without trying when I get close to you.”

Leora glared at her. “You’re just too strong! Cerik gets his butt kicked by you all the time!” Malori snickered in the bushes, only to have her side elbowed by a completely annoyed friend. “Anyway,” Leora picked back up, “What gives with the way you’re treating him? Malori seems to walk freely in the tower, but you seem to want to keep Cerik on a leash!”

Fenn clenched her first briefly before releasing it. “He belongs to me now! His transformation came from my blood, and his power is unstable without me next to him!”

“That doesn’t give you the right to _own_ him!”

“I don’t want that from someone who claimed Malori as her bride without her even agreeing to it!” Fenn’s hand quickly came up to her face, deflecting a slap aimed at her cheek. “Get mad, Princess, but the truth won’t change. You shackled Malori worse than I do Cerik, and that’s what is making you angry.”

The blonde shoved past the beastkin, taking several steps before speaking once more. “I don’t need to hear that from you. If you’re so self-righteous, then release him and learn from my mistake.”

“I won’t.” Fenn turned and glared at the back of the girl before her. “He’s mine, I claimed him.” The words turned from angry to threatening. “Queen Velverosa told me to bring you to the tower. I will fulfil that command with or without your consent.”

Malori shifted to stand but was held back by Cerik. Their eyes met and the mage slowly sank back down. The princess stood her ground for several long seconds before angrily continuing along her way. Fenn followed a couple of seconds later, eyes darting to the bushes where the friends were. 

“...She knows we’re here,” Cerik grumbled after a while. “Great.” As he stood Malori took a hold of his arm and tilted her head at him, a smirk on her face. “...Shut up.” The pair kept their distance from the others, walking in silence for a bit before the male finally spoke again. “After you... died... I kind of lost it.” He felt Malori’s hold on his arm tighten and her body walk just a little closer to his. 

“Even though I managed to talk the Demon Queen into honoring your memory though more peaceful means, I... I couldn’t do the same.” Brown eyes looked a little lower along the path they were walking. “The wolf’s bane potion I drank that day was altered to match Fenn’s body, to allow her to stay in disguise longer... It reacted with me in a way that let me use my true power... That is to say...”

Malori squeezed his arm to let him know that she understood what he was going for. “Right,” he continued. “Anyway, the point is...” A slow intake of breath came to steady his words. “I turned on the humans that day, Mal. I let Fenn control me as an excuse so I could vent my anger... I could have probably tamed my new power if I wanted to, but... being able to let out the pain...” 

The pair stopped walking on the edge of the tree line, the demon tower visible before them. “I’m sorry, Mal. The others kept working on the dreams and ideas you had, and all I did was try to get close to the king so I could kill him...” His arm was tugged on and he slowly turned to the side. Malori’s hands went to his cheeks and pulled him down, soon placing a kiss on his forehead. When they separated, she smiled up at him proudly. “...Heh, thanks.”

Arm in arm, the pair made it back to the doors of the tower. They were greeted by an angry demon queen and a lamia looking quite pleased with herself. ‘ _Welp... Here we go._ ’ Malori grinned at Cerik and left his side, accepting the grip on her horns and the tugging off to be scolded for disobeying her mate and queen. 

Cerik, on the other hand, put a hand on his hip and gave a lopsided smile to Melathia. “You have that look on your face.”

“My little Fenn is growing up, of course I would look happy.” She slid over the floor to wrap around him in a hug, much to his embarrassment. “She doesn’t quite understand these things, so I’m counting on you to be a good example...” The coils around him got tighter to make a point. “You won’t disappoint me, will you, Cerik my boy?”

“Of... of course not!” The coils loosened and he was let down to the floor, face red and nose almost bleeding. ‘ _What the hell did I just get myself into!?_ ’

~**~

Leora sat on Malori’s bed and gazed absent-mindedly down at the mask she held in her hands. The night that her fiancée had broken up with her, left the girl with two mementos. The first was in her hands, one of the masks that General M wore as part of her disguise. The second was something far more meaningful to her: the discarded angel candy that proved the choice made wasn’t a dream. Although the candy was still in her possession, the color had long since faded. The once golden wing now a dull grey, the magic held in it gone once Malori made her choice. The reality of the situation was driven home even more when her friend entered the room quietly.

“I guess the queen doesn’t even see me as a threat anymore if she doesn’t keep you in her room when I’m staying the night as a guest?” She knew Malori couldn’t answer, but the silence was starting to bother her. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay in Cerik’s room? I mean... You both have shared a bed together before...”

Malori sat down next to the princess and leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees for a brace. Soft words came next to her and soon a blue inked magical feather was offered to her once again. It was almost painful to accept it, but the feelings were pushed aside in favor of communication. Quick, fluid motions spelled out the words needed to push the topic onto something that wouldn’t hurt their hearts. _Velverosa told me that your father agreed to the deal?_

“Yes. The slaves that Shermont gathered will all be freed. The decree will happen tomorrow: In exchange for my release, both sides agree not to force unwilling participants in the war, including slaves. Both sides will release all slaves, human or demon, immediately. Those who don’t will be considered enemies of the kingdom... Which might mean...”

The redhead didn’t have to be told. The image of her parents flashed before her vision and a cold chill went down her spine. She felt like it was just the other day when she had laid the ambush on the slave traders, when General M was just coming into her own... When she realized her parents were still alive. Since then she had become lovers with the Demon Queen, become a demi-dragon, gained and lost a fiancée, been killed, talked to a goddess, defied death, lost her ability to form words and use magic, quit going to school and even had a king refer to her as his unofficial daughter.

“Malori?”

Violet eyes turned to gaze into crystalline blue spheres. ‘ _And Leora,_ ’ the thoughts went through her mind as she reflected on their relationship over the past several months. ‘ _I hurt you so much during this..._ ’ Instead of the usual smile or gentle touch, the princess instead glanced away to break their eye contact. ‘ _You will find someone who will make you happy..._ ’ The feather was once again lifted, the first two letters written before she was spoken to.

“If you say you’re sorry, I’ll be mad!” The words were forceful and full of emotion. “Don’t you dare apologize for loving me.” The feather descended and Malori looked down again, their conversation once more faltering for a moment. “... Thank you.” A small sniffle came but neither knew which one made the sound. “For loving me, I mean. Even if it wasn’t the kind I wanted... I’m happy we experienced what we did.”

Their hands reached to embrace each other’s, giving a soft squeeze. “Mmmn.” Malori slowly stood up and pulled the girl along with her. The couple made their way to a dresser where Malori offered one of Cerik’s shirts for the princess to change into while she herself donned one of her robes that matched her mate’s.

“You... have his clothes laying around?” Leora held the shirt to her face so she could inhale the masculine scent on it. “How close are you two? Doesn’t the queen get upset at it?”

The redhead shrugged as she changed into her sleepwear. When she could, blue words began to streak magically across the air before her once again. _Cerik is part of me. I can’t explain it other than to say that we are closer than things such as a relationship. Are you prying for any reason? You seem interested in him lately._

With stained cheeks, Leora turned to face the other direction when changing clothes. “I don’t have feelings for him other than that of a friend. He is just so kind to me that it... hurts to see him be taken advantage of by that... wolf girl.”

The new information was chewed over in her mind as the mage walked back to the bed they would be sharing for the night. ‘ _She’s still insecure when it comes to close friends accepting her... Having Cerik be so kind, despite being yelled at constantly for being my best friend, probably left a deep impression on her. No wonder she’s so protective of him._ ’ The musing brought a smile along her lips. ‘ _Now to find out why Fenn did a one-eighty from hating his guts to being possessive..._ _Cerik, you might actually lose your virginity before you’re forty! I’m proud of you.’_

“...Why are you grinning like that?” Leora’s question was waved off and she was pulled into bed with her friend. “Okay, sleep it is... Tomorrow is going to be a busy day after all...”

~**~

Velverosa took a moment to glance to her side and check in on Malori, as they rode along the pathway leading to the capital of their continent. A small army was with them, consisting of her generals as well as a battalion of her strongest warriors. Cerik had left with Leora earlier to meet with the king, as well as serve as a bodyguard for them while the decree was announced. Her troubled mind still left room to feel the piercing eyes of her mate on her, despite the burden she was shouldering. “What is it?”

The mage didn’t have to write down anything to portray the thoughts going on in her head “You’re troubled?” Vel’s question got a nod from her. “I feel it too.” Slitted, golden eyes turned back to the area before them. The large castle town was starting to loom in the distance, the trees thinning the closer they got. “Duke Shermont has many slaves, and we have been active in separating them from him. With the king making a statement that the no slavery law will be strictly enforced, and that all slaves are to be freed immediately... “

Fenn’s voice picked up when Velverosa’s trailed, her steed moving to ride side by side with them. “Without us here, the newly freed slaves will be hunted and killed before they could reach one of our settlements.”

“Ah.” Vel agreed absently. “Once we get them to safety, we will begin to prepare for an attack. I want this city to fall before winter.” Her words made Malori look up and over at her quickly. “What is it, Mate? In order to take care of the people here, we need to ensure that they have enough food to last them. If we try and wait for peaceful negotiations with the king after this, it could take years, if at all. I would rather a few hundred soldiers die, than the thousands of innocents in the city slowly die of starvations and bad leadership.”

Small hands gripped the reins of the lizard like mount that the demi dragon was riding. ‘ _That’s true... The less deaths the better. It is still off putting to hear such a decision be made so quickly..._ ’ A flashback came to her mind; one of burning wagons and carts, slave traders screaming in agony, and fire burning down her arms as she incinerated several lives with a breath from Vel’s Kiss. ‘ _No... I’ve made those decisions too... This is war, and I’m a general. If it comes to it... I’ll have to make that call to ensure no child will have to go through the same hell I did.’_

“...You have a good look on your face,” Vel’s praise relieves the tension building between the small group. “When this is over, I want to see you make much better expressions in my chambers.” This time a few people around them snickered or coughed while others just tried to ignore the sexual overtone between the queen and her mate.

A crackling voice came up between them. “Malori! Mal!” Words were interrupted by a small explosion and a grunt, followed by the sounds of metal on metal.

Velverosa took the mage’s communication crystal from her side pouch and activated it. “Cerik, report.”

Again, the sounds of battle came along with his voice, a small screen forming before her to reveal that he was surrounded by both demons and humans alike. “Shermont declared independence! He’s refusing to-” All at once the feed cut off.

Eyes narrowed in annoyance, the crystal was tossed aside for Malori to scramble and grab before it shattered on the ground. “Human communication methods are such a pain.” Her steed galloped ahead so she could turn back to face her troop. “Change of plans!” Her voice roared out in a way that snatched everyone’s attention. “The capital has gone independent! Today we are going to free anyone we can through force! Don’t harm any non-combatants! The head of duke Shermont shall be rewarded handsomely!”

Malori felt her eyes widen and her breathing get short. Behind her came an echoing war cry that shook her body to the core. Already the small army was speeding past her and heading to the gates of the capital city. ‘ _This isn’t what we wanted..._ ’ Despite her thoughts, the reins of her ride were snapped and she began to charge as well. ‘ _Cerik... Leora... We have to get you out of there_!’ 

Velverosa moved her arm quickly, picking up Malori as she rode past. Keeping her dangling in the air by a grip under her stomach, she looked down at her mate. “And just where do you think you’re going?” The panicked violet eyes went to the destroyed castle town’s gate and back to hers. “You think I’m going to let my advisor fight in the war when she can’t even handle me at a fraction of my power? No, Malori, you are not ready yet.” 

A clicking sound was made and the mount that the smaller woman was riding came back at the call. Velverosa placed her partner back onto the saddle and gripped her under the chin so she couldn’t look away. “You go back to the tower. That’s an order from your queen, not a request from your mate.” Her eyes softened for a brief moment. “I love you.” 

Those words were followed by a sharp whistle and soon Malori was left on her own, the last on the semi-open field before the castle walls. Countless screams were already coming from inside, mixing with battle cries and the sounds of war. ‘ _This might be the decisive battle..._ ’ Going against her better judgment, the reins were sharply tugged back to head into the town. ‘ _I’m not going to let my mate and my best friends fight on their own! Even if I’m disobeying the queen!_ ’

The moment Malori entered into the city, she guided her bipedal lizard mount to the side to avoid most of the conflict. ‘ _I’ll head to the castle... If I can detain Shermont or meet up with Leora and her father, maybe we can put an end to this from the inside._ ’ Black shields formed around her to block the random attacks coming from the people trying to strike as she rode. It wasn’t until the front of the castle did she fly from her mount when several arrows lodged into it. 

Rolling several times, Malori grunted in pain while pushing herself up. Soft whines made her grimace in regret and anger before she even saw the sight of the mount she had been using ever since she joined the demon army. It was lying in a smear of its own blood, several arrows littering its body. ‘ _I’m sorry..._ ’ Despite not being able to say anything, her steed seemed to understand. Closing its eyes, it laid its head down and went still.

“Raaah!” The shout of fury came paired with a flash of wind, scattering the arrows littering the ground in several directions as well as blowing the royal guards by the doorway off their feet. Her hand reached up to her hood and pulled it back to reveal her red hair and horns, her mask keeping her identity mostly covered. The armor-clad knights hesitated at the sight, choosing to instead stay down as the woman walked past them and into the castle.

The entryway to the grand building looked untouched, quiet lingering around her as her footsteps echoed throughout the chambers. ‘ _That’s odd..._ ’ No guard stopped her from forcing open the doors to the throne room, nor met her in defiance as she strode towards it. ‘ _Cerik was clearly fighting earlier...’_ Her eyes scanned the area around her. ‘ _But it doesn’t even look like anything happened here..._ ’ 

Jogging back to the entrance, the girl started to blast her way into different rooms, each one being as empty as the rest. ‘ _What the heck? Where is everyone!?_ ’ The sounds of her footsteps began to pick up as she started to run. The front door was blasted open only to reveal a mirror image of the room she was currently in. ‘ _...A trap...?_ ’ Malori sank to her knees in disbelief, staring at the empty room before her. ‘ _Oh no... what do I do now?_ ’

~**~

Cerik’s breath left his lungs as a foot connected with his gut. Despite the feeling of burning inside of him, he pressed on. A turn and slash of his sword knocked another knight down, blood splattering the floor. Heavy gasps of air came mixed with the tint of magic crackling around him. “How are you holding, Princess?” Despite wanting to sound steady, he could tell his voice was raspy from the blood he coughed up earlier.

The blonde was faring much worse, her hair streaked with reddish black stains and clothing torn in several places. “Not the best, honestly...” Leora pressed her back against her friend’s and drew a few more summoning circles before herself. “I’m low on mana, even with my crest...” Several swords began to form and launch at the slaves attacking them. “Any ideas on how to break the slave contract on them?”

Instead of an answer, Cerik’s arm went around the girl’s waist to pull her from harm’s way. Where they stood erupted in a flaming pillar, igniting the surrounding area with embers and ash. “I’m not the best at this... If Mal were here she could break it easily but-” Again he leapt backwards with the princess by his side.

Keisu laughed loudly as she watched the two dodge time and time again. “Is this the best my daughter’s lover can do?”

Cerik frowned. “Oh gross, she thinks I’m dating her daughter.”

“You take that back!” Leora shouted back at the same time. “She has much better taste than to date him!”

Brown eyes narrowed as the pair leapt through the air to avoid another fireball. “With all due respect, your highness, I’ll drop your ass.”

“Don’t talk to your princess that way!” The two landed safely and she immediately swatted at his arm.

“Is now _really_ the time for this!?” Cerik’s blade sliced through the air, making Keisu roll to the side. “We have to meet up with your father again and get the hell out of-!!” Before his words could finish Cerik found his body flying through the air and against the wall with a sickening crash.

“Cerik!?” Leora tried to run to him but was backhanded by Hasha as he appeared next to her.

The large male caught the unconscious figure of the princess with a sadistic grin on his face. “Shermont will pay us richly for this one.”

Keisu sighed out while placing a hand on her hip. “About time you showed up, Darling. I was getting tired of dealing with the kids.” She watched the young swordsman run at her husband to exchange blows. Soon after she joined in as well, pressuring the already weakened student until his defenses finally broke and she was able to stab him in the stomach with a dagger. “There. That should be enough. Don’t kill him or he will respawn.” 

Hasha threw the boy down and let him roll along the floor, a trail of blood smearing behind him. “Let’s go. There are demons making their way towards us and it seems like the queen herself is leading the charge.” His wife gave him a pleased grin as she licked Cerik’s blood from her blade.

“Then let’s go hunting, shall we?” Watching her husband toss Leora over his shoulder, the two walked from the burning room together, stepping over Cerik’s body along the way.

Unsure of how much time had passed by, Cerik tried to focus on staying conscious. His hand reached for the inventory screen hovering above him but it always seemed just out of reach. Vision began to swim, the taste of blood growing stronger as he once again weakly spat out the buildup in his mouth.

“Cerik!?” Fenn’s voice came down the large room and soon the beastkin was by his side. “What... What happened?” Her ears were pressed down, eyes wide with worry. Panic began to eat at her mind, hands moving along his body but too scared to actually touch him anywhere. “So much blood...”

“You...should...” Cerik coughed weakly, using most of his energy to weakly smile at her. “See the... other guy....” Fenn’s look clearly told him that she didn’t buy into his lie. 

“Stop talking...I’ll get you to someone who can heal you...” Her words had somehow grown soft, her eyes tearing up ever so slightly. 

“No... just go. Leave me here... Find the others.”

“No!” Fenn finally touched him, gripping one of his hands and holding onto his arm. “I’m not leaving my pack behind! I’ll never leave anyone from my pack ever again!”

The swordsman’s eyes widened, Melathia’s words clearly coming back to him. ‘ _Fenn lost her pack when she was little and I took her in. Ever since, she never_ accepted _anyone except for me as her family. I fulfilled the mother role, but she refuses to open herself up to the possibility of loving another._ ’

“Fenn...” A wave of determination surged through him. “My hand... raise it to my inventory screen. We’re going to fight together.”

~**~

Yet another person held under an enslavement spell fell before the demon queen, as she walked down the street steadily. Duke Shermont and the king of Folstina were clashing close by, their screams of betrayal and anger carrying through the streets like a corrupt virus. Velverosa kept her gaze steady, her emotions calm. Innocent bystanders were shielded by her spell, demons roaring in anger as their targets sifted to her. 

“So troublesome,” Vel complained under her breath. Her hand quickly became covered in thick black scales while slashing through the air to grab a sword swung at her. Disarming the demonic female, she turned the sword around and cracked her in the back of the head to knock her out. “We demons want nothing but peace on this continent.” Her words made the shivering civilians look at her with wide eyes. “Yet your duke enslaves them and turns on the king who tried to make amends with us.” Leaving those words with them, she walked on.

‘ _We started the day looking for peace and it will end in Regicide..._ ’ Despite the words, a grin came to her lips. ‘ _Much faster this way. Making an example out of him while still looking good in the eyes of the public is the best chance for peace._ ’ Stopping next to the two battling ex-comrades, Velverosa took in the sight before her with a mix of annoyance and anger. A hand was raised and when the chance presented itself, she threw several arcane spears at the duke.

Albert instantly took cover, dodging and twisting his body to avoid the assault thrown their way. “Velverosa! Are you trying to kill us both!?”

“My hand slipped,” the casual reply came with an air of not caring. 

Shermont pointed at them accusingly. “You are working with the demon queen! You sold out your kingdom!”

The king spat blood to the side and snarled back at the man who once fought side by side with him. “You are the one using demons to do your bidding, and enslavement spells at that! It has been outlawed for years!”

“We won’t be held by your laws anymore.” The duke stepped back as Keisu and Hasha made their appearance next to him. “Now let’s have a little fun, shall we? How about a trade off?” He waited until he heard Albert scream the name of his daughter before holding up a crystal as well. “I have your daughter as well as her fiancée.” A small screen cast out from the gem to reveal Malori sitting down in a hallway hugging her knees.

“Malori!?” Velverosa’s cry made the mage’s head lift, her body darting up. 

“She can hear you,” Shermont continued. “But she can’t get out. Though I know she was important to the king, I’m curious as to why the demon queen is so upset that I have her as prisoner?”

Velverosa clenched her fist, tail slinging out angrily behind herself. “You have _no_ _idea_ the depth of the grave you’re digging.”

Albert slowly moved to stand beside the demon queen, his sword still raised and pointing at his foes. “You can’t afford to mess up here, Velverosa. If you step out of line, our contract will cease and the peace you fought for will be ruined.”

Sharp teeth grit together, scales forming as a semi-transformation began to take place to increase her strength. “I care not. I lost my mate once already... If I’m hated by the world, then I shall suffer it. I won’t lose her a second time.”

Hasha snorted at the remark. “Is that the ego of a cornered demon queen, we’re hearing?”

Golden eyes flared brightly. “It’s the pride of the mate of Malori Crowett!” 

A sharp sound of shattering glass came paired with the shockwave of an explosion going off next to Duke Shermont. The male stumbled back, hand moving up to protect his face while squinting through the bright light shining where his crystal had just been. 

The figure of Malori hovered in the air for several seconds before her feet touched the ground. A large black and red broadsword embedded in the ground helped keep her balance next to her as she stood up, eyes behind her mask glowing a fierce purple. Malori’s free hand went to her hood, all eyes watching the woman who had just somehow broken free from the prison she had been in. As the royal purple fabric was pulled back it caught on her horns, snagging along the sharp points.

The mood was shattered and soon the woman had to let go of her sword and fight with both hands, eventually giving up and allowing Velverosa to angrily grip the hood and rip it back in annoyance. The two small horns on the redhead’s temples were now fully grown, black crystal shards curving up to a point. The front one was a little higher than her head, coming from just before her ear by her temple. A smaller one was just behind them, coming up halfway along the spur. Like Vel’s, each had a small accent color to them, a sparkling translucent pearl that sparkled in the light. A tail swung down behind her, moving back and forth to help balance her motions. Although much thinner than her queen’s, it also had three points at the end that sparkled a rainbow of colors as it swished to and fro.

Violet eyes narrowed, a hand reaching towards the handle of the giant sword next to her. Crackling energy snapped around her frame as she plucked it from the ground and took a step forward. Then, just as fast as it began, Malori fell forward and landed flat on her face, shattering her mask, and lying unconscious.

Silence passed over them for several moments until the queen knelt down to pick Malori up by the scruff of the cloak. The girl was snoring softly, drool coming from her mouth as she slept. “For the love of... She drained her mana and passed out!”

Hasha snorted back a laugh at the sight. “That is what all the commotion is about!? My good for nothing daughter breaking out of the crystal prison, only to pass out? Why is she a threat again?”

A new voice answered the call. “Because she’s the strongest one here!” The claim came paired with a harsh dropkick to the back of the male’s skull. The impact forced him to drop the hostage over his shoulder, which was scooped up at once by Fenn. Cerik stood over Hasha’s body, sword pointed down at his throat. 

“You son of a bi-”

“Hey!” Cerik’s voice cut him off. “Set a good example for the kids for once in your life!” His wolfish ears laid back on his head, tail swishing out behind him. Despite being in his beastkin form, his eyes remained clear. The normal bloodlust hanging over him seemed to be gone now, leaving him with his mind as his own. The usual red line leading from his collar to Fenn’s hand was also now a glowing yellow and brown, a mixture of their feelings of acceptance to being in a pack together.

The demon queen handed Malori over to her general carefully. “Somewhere safe.” The words were enough for the beastkin to nod and tuck the unconscious girl under her arm before jumping off. “Cerik, you look a little worse for wear.” Velverosa’s clawed hand waved out, casting a full heal over the boy. “Relying on those healing potions won’t do your body good.”

“Thank you.” The sword tip pressed a little tighter against the Adam’s apple of the male under his foot, drawing blood from the point.

Shermont growled at the group. “So, this is how it goes? The king of Folstina sides with the demon army to declare war on his nation?”

Albert’s voice roared out over the sounds of random battles raging on around them, the town sparked in furious war. “Shermont, you brought this upon yourself when you withdrew from the nation and pointed your swords at us!”

The duke’s hands raised in a shrug. “Did I? I don’t recall that. You’re the one who marched in here with your army of demons. Your daughter is even engaged to the newest general from the evil queen! If that isn’t a set up for diplomacy, I don’t know what is!”

Keisu chose that moment to speak up. “Such a tragic story: our daughter was stolen from us by slave traders, and once Shermont used slaves when Folstina turned their back on him, she went to the demon queen to help get revenge. Queen Velverosa agreed to aid as long as she would help make a bond since Malori was engaged to Leora... Now here we are, even her best friend Cerik holds a blade to a human’s throat!”

“You...” Albert’s sword began to glow a bright white as his anger began to show through. “I can’t believe you and I ever shared a party...”

A dark chuckle came from Keisu. “If you don’t want this to spread around with our communication crystals, how about you call off your dog?” She watched Velverosa catch Cerik’s eye and smirked as the swordsman snarled. Still, he obeyed and leapt from her husband over to the queen. “Good boy... Now, let’s start this show again.”

~**~

Leora groaned as her head fell to the side, the cold stone bringing her back. “Ugh...Wha...?”

“Shush.” Fenn laid Malori next to her and stood back up. “You’re on the top of a spire and I’ve secured the door leading up. Once you’ve regained some energy, get the hell out of here and back to your kingdom.”

“But...”

Golden eyes flashed in anger. “Don’t back talk me, Princess, now isn’t the time! Get her to safety! That is what you need to do right now!”

Blue eyes glistened in defeat, head lowering. “...Right.” She heard the wolf girl jump from the tower and her eyes went to the unconscious girl next to her. “Am I really so helpless, Malori?” Slowly her hand picked up her friend’s so she could hold it to her chest. “After all this time... After everything we’ve been through... I still can’t do anything but run away.”

Leora gently brushed some of Malori’s hair away from her face. “While you always put your life on the line, I just hide behind you and everyone else... Behind the golems I make or the creatures I summon. All I can do is focus my mana into other things to fight for me... I’ll never be able to stand by your side like this.”

A hand slowly reached into the princess’ pocket to pull out the angel candy that she was given. The wing on it was still grey, void of power. “If I could... I’d give you all of myself, even if your heart belongs to another...” Sniffing, she clutched the orb in her fist. “Please... Just let me help...” 

The words formed a glowing gold ball of light in her hand, making her gently pull back and look at it. ‘ _Is it... Letting me focus my magic into it?_ ’ Leora moved her mana through her body, channeling it into her palm as if she were trying to funnel the flow into an artifact to summon a creature. ‘ _Its... accepting my energy..._ ’ 

Forcing more of herself into her fist, the princess clutched the ball with both hands now. Her neck burned, mana crest screaming in protest at the energy being drained. ‘ _More... more!_ ’ The pain began to creep through her veins, moving down her shoulder and into her arm. Then, with what felt like glass breaking through her skin, the drain stopped. 

Slowly the hands opened, sweat dripping onto her palms from her chin and nose. Hard panting came steadily, eyes blurry and weak as they tried to hone in on the white orb of candy she was holding. The angel wing was once again golden, sparkling brightly for all to see. What was more, there was the symbol of her mana crest behind it, shimmering a bright blue that seemed to lock the golden glow in place. 

“...Malori, forgive me.” Leora’s voice was weak, pained from the struggle as well as the knowledge of what she was about to do. The small sphere was placed into her mouth and crunched while she leaned over. The princess’ hand tilted Malori’s chin up gently, her mouth claiming her friend’s lips to feed the broken candy to. When she pulled back, she felt weakness start to overcome her just as violet eyes opened up before her. “...Hey beautiful...”

“... Leora?” With that word, blue eyes rolled back, and the princess collapsed onto the girl under her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay! The next chapter will come much sooner.
> 
> Oh, and look forward to this becoming a physical book soon! I'm talking with the creator and editor of Mage and Demon Queen, and soon this story will be a physical novel you can have on your shelf!


	12. Closure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long!

I wasn’t sure what the first thing I should do was. Leora was unconscious on top of me but at the same time I could feel a surge of energy coursing through my veins. I heard myself say her name out of habit, and the word came to my call just like it should have. Swallowing, I hugged her body close to mine and spoke up again, calling forth my status screen. At once it appeared before me to display everything I wanted to know. Gone were the question marks and the locked messages. Instead, it displayed everything I needed to know. Race: Demi-dragon (Whelpling) / Demi-human (Adventurer). Level: 125. HP: 5,872/7,000. MP: 5,000/5,000. DE: 5,000/5,000. Class: Mage / Demonic Mage

**Seeking XII**

**By: Satashi**

Leora’s body was gently shifted over onto the stone flooring of the spire while Malori moved to get up. “What did you do, Princess?” With a tug of her cloak, she pulled it off to drape over the girl. “The only way the curse could be broken would be to eat the...” Realization came, memories of handing her friend the candy sphere when they officially broke up. “Leora... Please tell me you didn’t...?” 

Reaching to touch the princess’ face, the redhead stopped when she saw a glowing blue crest on the back of her own hand. Fear began to creep up into her mind and soon she tilted the blonde’s head to the side to confirm it: Leora no longer had her crest. “You... you stupid, idiotic...” Before she could insult her princess any further, she felt a new presence before her. Eyes glanced upwards to take in the transparent image of a green haired druid with crossed arms. “...Mana.”

“Can you not do _anything_ right? You humans are such a hassle!” Ignoring the sudden fireball flying through the image of herself, she set her eyes on the mage. “You’re lucky I can’t manifest myself on this plane right now, or you would have to pay for that.”

“Come try me,” Malori snapped back. “Your games have hurt enough people!” To make her anger spike even more, the deity before her simply shrugged.

“You have already proven yourself to be quite the challenger, Malori Crowett.” Mana’s hazy figure landed and took several steps forward so they were face to face. “Even if the method was forced, you were able to eat both the angel and devil candy that I locked your skills behind.”

“So they were just locked.” Arms crossed with a growl. “I should have known... The basic principles of magic state that it can’t be created or destroyed. Once I enhanced my abilities over time, they couldn’t just vanish.”

“Correct.” Mana put her hands on her hips. “Which is what makes you multi-class mutations so freakishly strong. My promise to double your mana pool wasn’t a lie, as you already had the capability. Your Demonic Energy was already a source to be filled, I would just unlock its potential for you. Now that you did it on your own, you’ve become another of which I don’t want. One more bump in my plans that I had to adjust for.”

The mage bit back the accusing thoughts raging in her mind in favor of seeking more information. “There are others like me?”

“Oh yes. You were actually very well acquainted with one when you were little.” She watched the startled realization come over the mage’s face. “Ah, you connected the dots! Good job, maybe you’re not as dense as I thought. That’s right, the demon that caught you when you were wandering the landscape on your own as a small girl.”

“...The one that could use human items... That could revive...”

Mana smirked. “He was an odd one, but his actions did lead me to you. Now here I am, standing before another mixed race.” Green eyes looked at Malori’s horns before darting down to the tail swaying out behind her. “A mixture capable of using both human magic as well as draconic flames. The corruption of breeding with a dragon is a lot stronger than I thought it would be... Yes... I can use this to my advantage.”

“...Why do you sound so happy about this?”

“Because you chose the demon army and increased your power. You are now almost as strong as Velverosa herself, and will surpass her with time.” Furrowing her eyebrows, Mana smiled sickeningly at her. “You, Malori, are still bound by destiny. Thanks to Princess Leora’s sacrifice, _you_ will now become what I need.”

“I would never help you!”

“Stow it, future demon queen! You now hold the power and the body to rule the continents under your claws! Now go, your first step as a demonic breed awaits you. Install fear into the humans, make them pray to me, and I will call forth a hero to slay you.”

Malori threw blast after blast through the flickering image that was now hovering away from her. “I won’t!”

“By your leave, Demon Princess.” Mana’s sarcastic voice vanished from Malori’s ears, leaving her once again alone with Leora on the spire.

Panting, Malori felt her body shake in both fear and rage. The figure floating in the air was fading into nothingness before her, while leaving light green sparkling dust in its wake. “... I don’t have time for this...” Taking a knee by the princess, Malori quickly scanned the girl. “Vitals are good...but your mana...” A hard lump in her throat was swallowed down. It was clear what had happened by looking at the status of the future queen. MP: 0/0

Several deep breaths tried to ease the frustration of the situation and soon she had to admit defeat. The demonic cloak was comfortably adjusted over the girl and then both a black draconic shield, as well as a pink magical one, were placed over her. “I’ll be back... Wait for me, Leora.”

Malori stood back up and took a small hop to stand upon the stone top of the spire. Looking down at her hands, she observed the translucent claws at the end of her fingertips. “If I’m really part dragon now...” Slitted violet eyes closed and demonic energy pulsed from within her core. ‘ _Pride... I can do this. I can show them that just because I’m part dragon that I can be seen as someone who will protect them... I’ll let them see the truth about demons. That we can soar in the skies as a symbol of protection, to keep them safe!_ ’ 

A ripping sound came at once, the back of the mage’s shirt shredding as two draconic wings erupted from the scales on her shoulder blades. Black, crystalline support ribs were accented with multicolored webbing between them. A breath was taken and wings flapped as she leapt from the building to rejoin the battle below. 

Velverosa halted her attack when a loud thud came next to her. Malori’s body was lying in a small recess of stone by her feet, several cracks and splinters expanding outwards from where the mage crashed. “What the hell!?”

“Ugh.... heal....” A soft green light flashed over the smaller girl as she stood and shook her head, dragon wings sagging in pain. “I can’t... feel my kidney... or my liver for that matter.”

“...Mal?” Vel’s voice was soft, attention withdrawing from the battle for a few brief seconds to take in the sight of her lover slowly getting her bearings back. The wings retracted behind her mate before vanishing, allowing golden eyes to trail off to take in the claws and fully grown horns. “Is that... you?”

“It’s me.” The redhead stumbled forward at first, the tail making it hard to balance for the first few steps. Shermont’s attention swayed over, several spells being thrown at once towards her. “Seriously?” Malori easily deflected the first two with a demonic shield and used her mana to block the third. “We’re kind of having a moment here!”

“Ignorant brat!” Hasha’s strong words didn’t seem to faze the girl, even as he charged forth with a broadsword raised. A crackling lightning sword appeared in Malori’s right hand while a rapier of water formed in her other. “I won’t fall for the same trick-” His words broke when both weapons were thrown anyway. A tidal wave of water broke forth when the rapier was hit and the lightning quickly sent its power through it.

Once Hasha braced the damage and stood to his full height again, his face paled at what was above him. His daughter’s body was coming down quickly, holding the selfsame weapons she just used. Each blade was now black and held a sparkle of the pearlescent rainbow of colors highlighting them now that the mana was drained. Three slashes later and the male was on his knees, golden binds locking him to the ground.

Malori flipped her weapons over her shoulder, each of them breaking into shards, before turning to magical dust and scattering. “Don’t think I haven’t improved... Now, when my mana is done, my flames will still let me keep fighting.” Ignoring the struggling man, she tilted her head to the flame haired woman next to him.

Keisu swallowed, one foot backing up while thoughts of retreat flooded her mind. “Malori... What in the world happened to you...?”

“Did you know?” Malori asked instead, holding out her arms while walking towards her. “That two kingdoms fight over me?” This time the older woman took two steps back to put more distance between them. “That the demon queen accepted me as her mate? The Princess even fell in love with me.” Each step forward was met with one being taken back by her mother. “Folstina wants me to lead an army... The demon kingdom wants me as an advisor...” Seeing that her mother was about to be in a corner, Malori smiled. “And you sold me for five hundred coins.”

Keisu’s back touched a wall and within seconds she found several burning bands of golden energy binding her to it. “M-Malori! I’m your mother! I gave birth to you! I raised you!” The words seemed to strike a chord in the younger girl and soon the mother found herself yanked from the wall and thrown on to the ground next to her husband. 

“You two,” Malori addressed them firmly. “Have led army after army of slaves... Have sold countless lives and helped them exchange hands to people who would torture them! You aided a corrupt duke in jeopardizing his country...You tried to infiltrate the capital of Folstina... You _dared_ to fool Princess Leora and take advantage of her goodwill!” 

Velverosa walked over to stand next to her mate, a hand being placed onto the shaking shoulder of the girl. “Malori. Calm down. I will handle this.”

Albert managed to finally overpower Shermont and pin him to the ground with his sword to the duke’s neck. “Velverosa, if you slay a human in command right now, then the lies Shermont spoke of will be more believable! Leave them to the humans!”

Hasha growled up in an arrogant sneer. “That’s right, demons. Neither of you can touch us. Now that Malori’s identity as General M is known, she can’t lift a finger to endanger humans without shattering all trust gained from your negotiations!”

A feminine voice came from the side of the group, and a small figure emerged from the shadows. “My Queen,” A purple cloak was wrapped around their body, black feathers lining the hood and covering most of their face. From what could be seen, the demonic mask of general M was over the eyes of the person. “We have succeeded in taking most rebels hostage while incurring as few casualties as we can. Request for backup from Folstina has been approved, and more numbers are coming in as we speak. The day is ours, your Highness.”

Velverosa gave a pleased sneer, seeing golden hair through the torn cloak and blue eyes behind the mask’s lens. “Very good job, General M.” Turning to the two slave traders and Malori, she continued. “Until we meet again, Malori Crowett, King Albert of Folstina, I leave the dealings of humans in your hands.”

Shermont’s sudden intense radiation of energy made them all stop and turn to him. Reddish gold mist left his body and made its way to the two flame haired prisoners before him... “It’s a blessing buff,” Albert shouted. “To boost their battle stats! It’s how we won the fight against the last demon king! If it is finished, then they will get away, and this will be for nothing!”

Malori’s eyes slowly narrowed. “Sometimes we all have to make choices...”

With a startled gasp, Velverosa put her other hand on her mate’s shoulder. “Malori... don’t even think...”

“Sorry, Queen Vel... we have to finish our roles... If I let them go, then countless others will live my life.” Stepping forward, she ignored the infuriated scream of a suddenly bound Velverosa behind her. “Mom... Dad...” Their eyes all met, looking into purple orbs one final time. “...On behalf of the human kingdom, as fiancée of the princess of Folstina and accepted daughter of King Albert... I hereby sentence you both...” Her throat tightened and a thick gulp was swallowed down. “...To eternal rest.”

“Malori!?”

“My daughter!?”

“Thank you for giving birth to me, and...” With a lashing of her hand, Malori sent two arcane spears forward. “...I hope your sleep will be peaceful.”

~**~

The cleanup was something that would take days to finish. Leora made her appearance as general M several times to help quell any rumors during negotiations while Malori tried her best to go between the two sides to help discuss trade. While Shermont’s trial edged on and on, several people came to both support and deny his claims, eventually ending with him being released, but stripped of his power. 

After countless days, the capital’s fate was decided as the first human and demon capital settlement. Although not liking the idea of not being in her tower, Velverosa managed to stay to help set up a system with Albert, Leora, and Malori’s help. Soon enough, demons would be able to support themselves enough to even begin exporting their goods and joining the world’s trade routes. 

Now, the redhead stood quietly in the graveyard by the castle. Her parents died in the line of duty to Shermont, which meant that they would receive special graves to symbolize their deeds to the country. Although the thought didn’t sit well with anyone, it was ultimately Malori’s decision to let it go. 

A small gust of wind blew by her when she leaned forward to place a pouch she held into a small lockbox between the two stones. “And with this, I’m free from the shackles of my past.” The words were softly whispered to herself. Ever so gently the lid was closed and the box locked. Quiet words were brushed against the wind and soon the container began to glow a dull black.

Sounds of grass and dirt being stepped on came up behind the girl, a familiar masculine voice speaking. “I thought you would be here. People are looking for you, ya know?”

Smiling, Malori stood and turned to Cerik. “Hey wolf boy, did you sniff me out?” The playful jab didn’t seem to faze her friend at all. 

“Nah, I can just tell when you won’t say what you want.” Brown eyes glanced down. “What did you put in the box?”

Moving to stand beside him, she leaned against his arm. “Guess.”

“... I guess I won’t have to part with this then.” His free hand held up a pouch full of golden coins. “How about I use it to buy us a night on the town?”

Malori felt herself relax against him. “Were you really going to put five hundred coins on their grave?”

“You beat me to it, didn’t you?”

“... Come on, Let’s go.” Malori took his arm to start walking back. “Are you not going to ask?”

“They were your parents. Hate them or not, it will still leave you with a sick feeling. There is nothing wrong with regretting the fact you had to do it. If you hadn’t, then the world would be a worse place right now.”

“...Yeah.” The path to the tower was taken in silence for a little while. “Leora got her results back from Faust.” A curt nod let her know that Cerik was aware. “She can’t store magic in her body anymore... She gave it up to activate the angel candy and locked her crest in it to give to me...” 

“She is still happier this way, I think. She never liked fighting... And besides, she has us to protect her now.” 

A small laugh came. “Don’t let Fenn hear you say that, playboy.”

“Ugh, don’t even. Fenn won’t let any girl within ten feet of me without growling at them.” Reaching up, he tugged on his collar playfully. “Besides, I’m starting to think maybe that wolf girl isn’t so bad after all...”

Malori chuckled again. “You have my support.” The large castle was walked into, several guards looking over to greet them. “For now.... Let’s get back to the politics.”

“You say that, but...” Cerik smirked down at her. “I told you people were looking.” His words ended in a little wave. 

It wasn’t until she noticed Leora that she understood why her friend had jogged on ahead. “Hey, Princess.” To say it was awkward would be grossly understating the feeling in the air. “Uhm...”

With a small shake of her head, she simply smiled. “I don’t regret what I did... Nor do I think that it would influence you any... I know, Malori, and I’ve come to accept it.”

“Then why...?”

“I still love you.” Leora fell into step beside her friend so they could head to the throne room together. “I might always love you...” Glancing down, she steeled herself for the next part. “But no matter how much I throw myself at you, I know where your heart is. That’s why I want to tell you this... I accept that you’re with Queen Velverosa, Malori... and I respect your choice.”

“Princess...” Violet eyes moistened lightly. “Thank you.” Blinking rapidly, she made sure not to let the tears stain her cheeks. “I’ll do everything in my power to not waste what you have given me.” 

Smiling softly, Leora faced forward once more. “I know you won’t.” She felt her hand being taken encouragingly by her friend. “Still, though, I’ll be counting on you to save me if anything ever happens!”

The words brought out a laugh from the mage, her tail swaying excitedly behind her. “You got it, Princess. One dragon knight at your service!” The two shared the laughter and pushed into the throne room with an air of acceptance. 

~**~

It wasn’t until two months passed before Malori and Velverosa could finally sit on the queen’s bed in the tower once more. The room felt so comforting, and even the ability to just lay next to each other without worry, was easing the couple’s minds. It was Velverosa who spoke first, holding Malori close to her side. “Everything seems to be settling down... Looks like we will finally have some peace.”

“You worked really hard for it, my Queen.”

A soft smile. “We both did.” Reaching up, she brushed some hair behind the girl’s ear. “Your whole life turned around to be here... Moving from your home... having to repeat your final year in school because you missed the last third of your classes... Not only becoming my mate but actually becoming part dragon in the process!” The last part was said proudly as she looked at the horns and tail her lover had. “Let’s not even get into becoming famous around the continent of Folstina.”

“Side effects of my real goal.” Malori beamed back at her. “I hope you didn’t forget the whole reason I started doing all of this in the first place?” Her body shifted, making them both fall back onto the bed with Malori on top.

“And just what goal is that, my mate?”

Malori chuckled to herself as she leaned down to kiss her queen’s lips. “To make you my bride, of course.”

~*The End*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for staying with me through this... the delays, the cliffhangers, the typos... The choices I made that some didn't agree with. It was an amazing ride, and I'm so happy to finally bring this to a close. Thank you all so, so much for your support.

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus! :D  
> Malori Crowett's Seeking spells revealed so far!
> 
> Earth Claymore: Crafting a giant two-handed sword out of rock, Malori can use earth manipulation to hold the form of a weapon. Even with multiple strength boosting buffs, she can only swing it once or twice before becoming too tired to continue to use it. Once done, she can detonate it into an earth spike spell. Most effective for large groups.
> 
> Gale Bow: A bow made of wind. Malori can form an arrow made of any element she chooses to fire from it, even combining them for added effects.
> 
> Water Rapier: A rapier sword made from water. Used to make rapid thrusting strikes. Best for agility based movements when fighting more than one person at a time.
> 
> Vel's Kiss: A Fireball spell focused at the mouth rather than at the hands. A wind spell fans the flames to make them hotter and spread the area of effect. A delayed explosion spell takes effect when the fireball makes contact with it's target. Requires multicast and cast speed up to perform.


End file.
